ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

I had a late day in the office with my book-keeper and had little time to prepare dinner nor the energy to try.  Since I made a meatloaf dinner (featured on my previous blog) last evening and I have 2/3^rd of the loaf leftover, I thought I definitely would use that. Thus: Italian Wedding Soup!

This soup is very popular in Pennsylvania and I have had many a bowl.  About a year ago I was making a version of the soup and mid-cooking found that I had no spinach, just about a cardinal sin in this household (the typical Green used).  I decided to try Arugula and what a brilliant idea that was.

This soups origins are Italian – American who’s name "wedding soup" is a mistranslation of the Italian language minestra maritata, which means meats and greens go together. The basic ingredients being broth, meat and greens (spinach, kale, endive use your imagination).

Arugula: You may have heard other names for this very popular green (well known In the last 10 years in the USA, always  has been in Europe) as : rugola, rucola, roquette, garden rocket, Mediterranean rocket or roka. It has a marvelous peppery- mustardy taste and brings a nice bite to salads and most anything you add it to.

As you have Arugula and broth added, be careful how much pepper or salt you add.

Now this is so easy, really easy and very satisfying. So make a soup from the leftover meat loaf or from store bought meatballs!

½ tablespoon olive oil
½ cup minced onion
1 stalk celery minced (I had one so just tossed it in)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
10 cups chicken broth (boxed, from cubes or homemade)
1 cup orzo
4 cups arugula cut lightly (Roka)
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated
2  (1) inch slices of meatloaf cut in 8ths each (left over) or 16 small meatballs (I love the premade Costco brand)

Saute onion, celery and garlic in olive oil. 

Add broth, arugula, orzo and simmer lightly for 30 minutes.

Add meat loaf carefully as it will breakdown.  Keep on low heat until heated thru.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Some people beat an egg and drizzle it in as well.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Almond and Craisin Carmel Topping  

I never told you that I was a healthy cook, as I believe one should eat in moderation just about anything. Therefore, a good dessert or sweet from time to time is a needed pleasure in life.
A thought of making a brittle, a very delicate and thin caramel candy that breaks easily to the touch, came to mind so I could use some of the huge bag of almonds I bought at the wholesale club.
Almonds being one of the most healthy of the nuts made me think well this candy can't be all that bad. Almonds; low in saturated fat, good for the heart, strong for the bones and full of vitamin E. I tried to brain wash myself into thinking these nuts were going to make a great healthy snack! It wasn't the nuts that ruined that thought but certainly it was the sugar! Oh well ...let's make brittle.
Mistakes happen, even to the best of the Dump Cooks.

This became the Brittle that just did not make Brittle : This is actually, I am not afraid to say, one invention that did not turn out to be the nut bar I was intending.  My mistake was clear, as I did not allow the caramel to cook long enough to the crack stage  (310 degrees) and instead got a sugary sauce rather than a brittle.

So now I poured it all out to cool and realized it is much too soft to harden to a brittle stage. Yikes!  What can we do?  I let it cool and harden, as best it would, and then scooped it up into containers. It is gooey and sticky so be prepared to wash your scooper and hands in very warm water to clean.

4 cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups almonds 
1 cup craisins
¼ teaspoon cream of tarter

In a large heavy bottom sauce pan (sauce will bubble up high due to the cream of tarter) add water and brown sugar. Bring to boil and add cream of tarter. Stir and lower so it keeps a low boil. Keep on the heat for 6 minutes.  The sauce will begin to thicken.

 (if you leave it to go to Hard crack stage candy – 300 degree on the thermometer - when it cools it will be a brittle candy…what I was trying to do!)

Spread a silk pat on a cookie sheet then the nut and craisin mixture.  Let it cool fully.  Scoop the nut mixture into containers. This still tastes wonder and we need to use it…..hmmmmmmmm
                                            I  JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING: TRY THIS...

HOMEMADE GRANOLA (REINVENT ABOVE)

1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup Go Lean crunch cereal
2 cups oats
1 cup almond sugar mix from above
½ cup chopped dates

Toast all but dates at 300 degrees 15 mins and bring and out and cool.  Add chopped dates and store in air tight container

IDEAS:

Top some plain or vanilla yogurt and add some grain cereal for a breakfast bowl or afternoon treat.
Use as topping on vanilla ice cream.
Top brownies. Place inside brownies before you cook them.

Make a parfait with 1) pudding, nut mix fruit, whip cream    2) ice cream, nuts and fruit, whipped cream

Top a cheesecake

Take store bought sugar cookie dough and place inside a ball a little nut mix and bake.

If warmed a bit it will revert to be more syrupy and hot

PS: use just a little as it is very sweet!

Well better yet, maybe it is best I stay to the 'a handful of almonds', plain and simple and get the all the health benefits!?! 

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

MEATLOAF AND GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

I spent this glorious day of almost 50 degrees in January in PA out on a country drive. We approached home and the sun began to set and that chill in the air turned a bit bitter and once again we knew the day was just a fluke in the weather and it was still January.   Ready to buckle in for a movie, my mind whispered “Comfort Food”.

I had some ground meat thawed and some onion and green pepper cut up from this morning’s omelet so a Meat Loaf it will be.

Meat Loaf dates back to the Romans in the 5^th century and is generally thought of being a German and Belgian dish of minced meat formed in a loaf shape and baked or smoked.  Meatloaf in its contemporary American sense didn’t get published in cook books until the late 19^th century.  I look at it as a distant cousin of an Italian meat ball!  The early renditions used Ouaker Oats as a binder instead of bread crumb or crackers.  This was done mostly to help stretch the meal and make it more pocket book freindly , especially during the great depression.

Variations on meat Loaf can be many.  Be inventive and let your imagination swirl.  Many even place a hard-boiled egg in the middle, top with tomato sauce, use an onion soup mix as flavoring  or even covered in cheese or mushroom.   I am going to cover the loaf with garlic mashed potatoes and broil just long enough to brown the top. Then I will place heated French Onions Rings (Yup the ones in the can (Frenchs, used in the famous green bean casserole!) on top of the slice just before serving.

Please note we have almost 2 cups of vegetables inside so it is also a sneaky way to get them in the kids!  Most children love it topped with ketchup.  (which itself is often called a vegetable..sadly so in the lunch room debate of present where a pizza is still allowed to be served in the school lunch rooms as it has tomato in it's sauce.  Really!)

Meatloaf recipes are an excellent way to incorporate some great food into your cooking repertoire without great expenditure.

1 pound ground meat
1 egg
½ cup chopped green pepper, celery and onion
1 carrot shredded
1 slice white bread
¼ cup of milk
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
4 garlic cloves minced
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (recipe below)
½ can of French Onion rings

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.

Soak the bread slice in milk until the bread is saturated. 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl (hands are ones best tool) and pat rather firmly into a loaf pan.
Bake in oven for 40 minutes uncovered (make mashed potatoes while loaf bakes).

Remove the loaf from the oven and cover with the mashed potatoes. hint: make these mashed potatoes a little thick as they will absorb some of the juices in the meatloaf pan).  Swirl the potatoes to have a few peaks. Dot with a little butter and sprinkle with paprika.  Turn the heat to broil and place pan back in the oven 4- 5 minutes until the potatoes are browned.
Cut a slice and plate topped with hot French's Onion rings that you warmed in a toaster oven.

GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

4 potatoes (keep whole to keep in the starch)
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves  garlic
Salt and pepper
Milk as needed
Butter to dot on top of loaf

Peel and boil the potatoes in water until fork tender.

Drain and place in ricer (I love this gadget but a regular hand masher or electric beater will do just as well).  Place garlic cloves on a piece of tin foil and drizzle with olive oil and a bit of salt. Wrap tight and put in oven next to the loaf for 15 minutes. Take out and cool and squeeze out the garlic into the potatoes and whip by adding milk just to make smooth then butter and salt and pepper to taste.

TIPS:
 Don't over COOK meatloaf - it will turn into a Hockey puck!

Leftover meatloaf is yummy cold as a sandwich with spicy mayonnaise (add some wasabi) or ketchup.

It breaks apart and makes for a good food for young children. They get their protein and vegetables all in one.  Add some frozen vegetables to the mix to sneak more veggies into the meal!

The soaked bread makes for a moister loaf verses using bread crumbs.

They can be baked in muffin tins for individual servings. You can then freeze them well if you like.

You use leftover meatloaf as a base for a chili the next day. Or in chucks in a vegetable beef soup.         
   
Serve with a baked Tomato half that is sprinkled wth olive oil and spices.  No need for Ketchup!

So when Mom’s old recipe loses its appeal, be adventurous and make them yours!

  As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

TOOLS OF THE TRADE
                     
                                                      

Ever since the beginning of mankind tools have been used in the art of cooking.  Of course, the very first tools were one’s hands and maybe a stick but none the less, they were tools.  Kitchen tools and equipment have changed drastically over the years and with so many on the market, it is hard to know what is necessary and what just might be a new gadget to clutter up your drawers. Whatever the case, cooking equipment will allow you to take your cooking talent and help extend it to reach its fullest potential. All kitchens need the basic tools of the trade to function well.

You can do either one of two things; take this list and go get all or start cooking and by trial and error you will then begin to see what you require.  I suggest trying to fill out your tools of the trade list and then start cooking. At least get the bare minimum without breaking the bank.

Basics.  Just like a well-stocked pantry a chef needs a well-stocked tool drawer and cabinet.  You do not need to spend an arm and leg on your items and you do not need great quantities. However, I do believe in good quality, as over the years they pay for themselves over and over. Don’t scrimp on these! So watch for the sales, use coupons or hunt garage sales. 

Hand tools:

·        Herb and spice tools

• Pepper Mill and Salt shaker
• Garlic press

·        General

·        Large Spoon

·        Slotted spoon

·        Wooden spoon

·        Spatula

·        Silicone spatula

·        Tongs

·        Bench Scraper

·        Baster

·        Laddle

·        Whisk

·        Large 2 tong fork

·        Vegetable peeler

Measuring Tools

• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups

Knives

• Pairing
• Bread
• Carving
• Utility 10 inch chef’s knife
• Kitchen shears

Stove Top Pots and Pans

·        3 sizes of sauce pans with lids

·        2 sizes of fry pans with lids

·        Pasta/soup kettle with lid – 10 qt 

 Oven Pans:

• Large roasting  pan
• Small roasting pan

Baking Pans:

      ·        Cake pans

·        Cookie sheet

·        Spring form pan

·        Loaf pan

·        Muffin

Casseroles and glass dishes

·        Pie dish

·        Au gratin

·        9 x9 inch glass

·        Ramekins

Odd and Ends:

1.      Colanders

2.      Small mess strainer

3.      Funnel

4.      Mixing Bowls

5.      Cutting board

6.      Can opener

7.      Bottle opener

8.      Rolling pin

9.      Silk pad

10.   Oven terminator

11.   Knife sharpener

12.   Grater 

Machines (oh how nice they make things)

·        Hand mixer

·        Food processor

·        Blender

·        Hand emulsioner

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand

POACHED SALMON WITH HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Tonight I found some left over homemade Hollandaise sauce in my refrigerator . My goodness we can’t let it be thrown away!  I had made this sauce for Eggs Benedict and as it has a lot of butter in it, we (6 of us) used a little which allowed me to have leftovers.  I kept it in a covered dish, tucked on the sauce shelf and almost forgot about it. Another good thing about being a Dump Cook; you always will find a surprise in the frig!

Hollandaise Sauce is emulsion of lemon and butter. It does not overpower mild flavor foods. Notably one of the five master sauces of the French cuisine, it is notorious for being very difficult to make. This is due in part to yolks tending to scramble with heat.

I have a marvelous easy method and I will give the iconic recipe to you at the bottom of the blog. You MUST keep this recipe. It is easy, amazing and a staple to always have in your recipe box. It came from one of maybe three cook books BIBLES of mine( of a collection of hundreds) that I rely and trust 100%. ’’The Joy of Cooking”  cookbook.

Light bulb flashes; this sauce pairs so well with Salmon so off to my freezer for a piece! 
SALMON: is a super source of Omega 3. The Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce cholesterol.

1 pound salmon fillet
½ cup salted water or  broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 tablespoon hollandaise sauce (recipe to follow)
½ teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon dill                                                                                             
Salt and pepper
Lemon to garnish

Place broth in pan and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle fish with salt, pepper and dill.  Keep on low and place fish skin side down.  Cover pan and simmer 4- 5 minutes until the fish is not fully cooked through.

Plate fish and spoon sauce on top. The heat of the fish will melt the sauce.

I served it with Zucchini with dill sliced then stemmed and leftover rice mixed with black eyed peas that I drizzled olive oil, hot pepper flakes and lemon on and a side of salad.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

Place in blender and blender at high speed for one minute
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
Ground pepper or hot sauce to taste
Salt to taste

Add slowly …
½ cup of hot butter (clarified best)

Sauce will be thickened by the time all is added. Best served warm.

Tips:

POACHING: Most use court Boullion as the liquid.  This can range from salted water to water with bay leaf, carrots, celery, white wine and spices. I often use broth if some is open or salted water.

I buy Salmon when on sale and have the fish monger package the fish in 1 lb packages to be frozen.  Each packet feeds the two of us for dinner and one piece is left to use the following day in a breakfast meal.

Always smell your salmon when purchasing it. It should never smell fishy!

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

CORDON BLEU A LA GRECQUE

Ham left over from a soup night and chicken breasts on sale inspired this remake of a classic. The CORDON BLEU  chicken dish Is a classic French inspired dish of thinly sliced chicken (or Veal) wrapped around ham and cheese (usually Swiss) and breaded and fried.  Its name in French means Blue Ribbon.  It also refer to a chef of the highest class.
Sounds pretty fancy does it?  Well it looks like it, tastes like it but I promise it is not hard at all. Love that french accent!

My version is a bit lighter, as I choose not to coat it in egg wash, bread crumbs and fry it in oil and to just roll and bake with a light sauce to keep it moist.
The method of using escalopes (thinly pounded meat) lends for your imagination to run wild.  Any stuffing can be used:  all kinds of vegetables such as spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, broccolli, tomatoes ; all kinds of cheeses such as blue, cream, swiss, cheddar, jack ; fruits like apples, peaches and  cranberries.  The combinations are endless and I promise to bring many to you in future blogs.  Go Dump Cooks and experiment.

 CORDON BLEU A LA GRECQUE

4 chicken breasts
4 slices of ham
4 slices of cheddar cheese
Salt, pepper to taste

SAUCE

½ cup Greek style plain yogurt
½ cup Feta cheese crumbled
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon oregano
Sprinkle Paprika

Place the breasts one at a time on saran wrap on your cutting board.

Split the chicken breasts by slicing down the side to ALMOST through and spread open (called butterflying).

Place between saran wrap and pound  with a mallet ( you can use a back of a pan, rolling pin or just about anything hard) until thin all over thus making Escalopes (thinly pounded meat)   This also doubles the size of the breast.  I keep the saran wrap down on the cutting board to help in clean up.

Salt and pepper the breasts on both sides and lay flat. Place one slice of ham and then the slice of cheese on top of the breast.

From one end roll the chicken into a log shape. 

 Pick up carefully and place seam side down in a baking dish that will hold the four fillets nicely allowing not much room around the edges. If you roll them neatly, transfer them carefully and keep them snuggled up to each other in the pan, you will not need to place toothpicks in them to hold their shape.

Remember we are using Chicken …. Yes, you have heard it all before but, wash your hands well, your surfaces that raw meat has touched and utensils before they come in contact with other items.  Using the saran wrap to keep the cutting board covered helps a lot.

To make the sauce: Mix the feta, Greek yogurt (you need this kind as it is creamy and thick), mustard, oregano and mix to blend.  Spread over the chicken and sprinkle with Paprika for a nice bit of color. Cover with tin foil.

Bake at 350 F degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and broil for 5 minutes. Serve with sauce scooped up and placed on top. Get the cheese and creamy sauce and leave the fat.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

FAST AND EASY HAM AND BEAN SOUP

SOUP is basically a dish that has meat, fish, vegetables and other ingredients that is cooked in a stock, milk or cream. It is then enhanced by herbs and spices. There are two types of soups; Clear such as broth, consommé, bouillon and Hearty; creamy, thick, Purées, veloutés and bisques.

Well that sounds easy and versatile enough for sure and guess what???? It is!  Soup is a “Dump Cook’s” haven.  One can put just about anything in the pot and come out with a decent soup. My specialty is making that soup not just a soup, but a great soup!  One can really clean out the frig on soup making day. Be inventive and voilà, a tasty pot of goodness filled with vitamins, nutrition, full body taste and it is most economical!

No matter how hard I might try, it basically is impossible for me to make a small batch of soup.  This is due in general to the fact that a good soup really needs a lot of ingredients. Don’t be afraid that this will overwhelm you. It won’t, as it just takes a lot of grabbing and chopping. (Either by hand or with the help of a food processor)

I am making a fast version and using canned beans, precooked ham, canned tomatoes today. The pantry was very useful!  Place in containers and freeze and a few more meals are made and ready for the next cold and damp day.  Whether for a lunch or light dinner, a hot bowl of soup is soothing to the soul.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 strips bacon diced

2 cups chopped ham

6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

3 Carrots peeled and chopped

3 celery stalks chopped

1 large onion chopped (can use Leek but I  prefer the strong taste of onion in a bean soup)

1 tablespoon minced jarred garlic (remember this is fast and easy)

1 large 15 oz. can of chopped tomatoes with liquid (use whole and chop if you only have these)

1 medium potatoe peeled and chopped

1 large can Pinto Beans and sauce --canned makes this the fast and easy recipe

1 small can kidney beans and sauce

2 tablespoons of tomato paste (I love the squeeze tubes as I never use a whole can)

1 tablespoon Oregano (Greek best)

1 tablespoon parsley chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Salt  (remember ham, bacon and broth have a lot of salt so go lightly.. but salt is a major spice so remember always to use it)

Ground pepper to taste

Place olive oil and diced bacon in large soup pan. Place on medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crispy.

Add chopped ham and simmer for 2 more minutes.  Add all vegetables (carrots, celery, onions and then garlic) Simmer 3-4 minutes and add canned Tomato, tomato paste, potatoes, spices and broth. Cook medium/low for 45 minutes.  Add beans juice and all.  Simmer soup for 30 minutes and taste to adjust seasonings and to make sure vegetables are cooked.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprig of parsley and a crusty piece of bread.

(OH..don’t forget to remove the 2 bay leaves. They are not to be eaten)

TIPS:

Cut all vegetables similar size.

Canned tomatoes I think are better than fresh. Besides it is winter usually when you are making this and tomatoes just are not so good.

Leaves and fronds of celery, fennel and carrots are marvelous for soups. So never throw them OUT! As you clean your vegetables place all tops and leaves in a baggy for soup day!

A little wine vinegar in bean dishes always brings out some good flavor.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Steak Au Poivre for Two

I have two 4 oz steak Fillet mignons and wanted to make a good dinner Sunday for my husband and myself.  These are lovely small fillets, not the usual larger size we are used to, but I think they will work wonderfully if paired with a large double baked truffle potato and fresh salad. I am sure there will then be room for dessert.

As these are on the small side, I thought to make them as rich tasting as possible and therefore not requiring too much meat.  So Steak Au Poivre with a mushroom cream sauce came to mind. This recipe I made for two and can be doubled and tripled as your group size requires.  If the portion of the steak is larger than a 4 oz steak the cooking time per side should be increased accordingly.                             

                                                    

2  {4} oz Fillet Mignon   ( for larger sized steaks you will need to cook them a bit more per side)

Sea salt
1 tablespoon pepper corn ground by a good grinder or mill or by hand by pestle and mortar
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 mushrooms sliced thinly (use any type you have on hand)
1 teaspoon butter
Salt
Sprinkle of tarragon
½ cup cream (I use half and half to cut richness and calories)
Splash of cognac or bourbon (can use red wine as a substitute)                         

                                                                  

Make sure your steaks are sitting out at room temperature for about 1 hour prior to cooking.  Coat steaks on all four sides with salt and ground pepper corns.  Lots and lots of pepper!  IE: Why it is called Au Poivre …..meaning pepper.

                                                                                         

In small pan heat over medium heat 1 teaspoon butter and when melted add the sliced mushrooms. Add some salt and sprinkle of tarragon. Just before cooked through add the cream and simmer. 

Heat another pan on medium heat and add the 1 teaspoon butter and olive oil and stir.  Once it begins to bubble place the steaks in and cook on each side for about 2- minutes each side for medium rare for the small size I have.  (A thick and bigger piece will be about 4 minutes each side)

Remove the steak and place in tented foil.  Add the mushrooms sauce to the steak pan and scrape pan to get all the cooking liquids incorporated into the sauce. Hold pan to side of heat and the cognac.  Reduce the sauce for 3 or so minutes so it thickens and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Add the steaks back to the sauce and spoon sauce over steaks. Cook another 2-3 minutes until heated through.

 Serve immediately.                                                     

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!

Double Baked Potato with Truffle Oil

1 Very large baking potato (Russet) Shared in half for two
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon truffle oil
½ tablespoon half and half
Salt and pepper

Wash and dry Potato. Poke with a knife three times (helps release pressure) and brush with olive oil ( helps crisp the skin). Bake at 375 F the potato for 1 hour or until when a knife is inserted it enters easily.

Let cool 15 minutes or until you can handle it well. 

 In very top of potato cut the top off and put aside.  With a small spoon scoop out the insides of the potato.  Try not to pierce the skin. Place all the potato insides in bowl and add cream, oil and butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Beat until fluffy. Re-stuff the potato.    Wrap in foil and bake 350 another 15 minutes.                     

Dot with butter and sprinkle chopped parsley.  Cut in half and serve ½ to each plate.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!