In the Storm

Homemade Tomato Soup

 
Try this just once. You will never go back to canned. You may say to yourself you don't have time to make a homemade soup but this soup is worth the few minutes it takes to chop up a few vegetables for the base, and open a large can of whole tomatoes. So, so worth it. Paired with some Chipotle Cheddar grilled cheese on sourdough bread and you have a filling meal.

Homemade Tomato Soup

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 slice bacon, finely chopped
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 carrot, chopped
2 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes or diced tomatoes
3 parsley sprigs, finely chopped (or about a tablespoon of minced parsley)
3 fresh thyme sprigs, finely chopped (or about a teaspoon of thyme)
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 1 minute. Melt the butter in the pot over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and the tomatoes into the pan. Bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Add the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend until desired smoothness. Whisk in the heavy cream if using, salt, and pepper, to taste. Divide among soup bowls and serve immediately. Yum!

 

Spicy Bourbon Chicken

 
This sweet, and slightly spicy bourbon chicken was a big hit with the Georgia Boys and Hoosier Man. Very similar to other Asian meals I've made but the sweetness from the brown sugar and orange juice made it just a tad different. The Georgia Boys and I topped ours with some of that Asian Sirracha sauce. I thought the combo was necessary because the meal struck me as just a bit too sweet. Hoosier Man would like water chestnuts added next time and both of us though some sliced Vidalia onions would go heavenly. All in all this meal is a keeper!

Spicy Bourbon Chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cups dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

½ cups water

¼ cups orange juice

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/3 cups soy sauce

2 pounds chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces

1 tablespoon butter

3 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 red pepper, sliced and chopped

2 cups sliced mushrooms

6 cups cooked rice

1 bunch green onions, sliced, for garnish

Combine the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, ketchup, water, orange juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cider vinegar, and soy sauce and whisk to combine and set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, and browned. Pour the sauce into the pan, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, red pepper, and mushrooms and cook covered until the broccoli is tender, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the lid and let the sauce thicken. Stir in the green onions just before serving over the cooked rice.

Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich

 
Messy! Divine! Yummy! This combination of flavors packs a punch. I made these sandwiches for lunch for the Georgia Boys and I. Oh, so yummy.

Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich

1 1/2 cups grated (not shredded) sharp cheddar cheese                      

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used light mayonnaise)

1 small jar of pimentos, drained well

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I'm going to try chipolte pepper next time)

Sourdough bread

Butter

Gently combine the grated cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, and cayenne in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to merge the flavors. When ready to prepare use about 1/4 cup pimento cheese mixture onto sourdough bread and butter the outside top and bottom. Grill on medium-high until both sides golden brown.

(Note: This sandwich is very messy. I would suggest not spreading the cheese mixture to the ends because it will melt over. Unless you want it to melt over and eat it messy. Then go for it!)

Bacon Meatball Subs

 
Oh, these were yummy. With some of the prepping ahead of time not to difficult either. I served these with some Ceasar Salad, paired nicely. The recipe only makes about 20 meatballs so just enough for 4 people with no leftovers.

Bacon Meatball Subs    Serves 4

1 pound hardwood smoked bacon
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon, or more to taste, crushed red pepper
1 egg

½ cup Italian bread crumbs

1 can pre-made spaghetti sauce or jar of pizza sauce

4 sub rolls

4 tablespoon butter

1 cup mozzarella cheese 

Cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces (it’s easier if it is still slightly frozen) and place into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse the bacon until it is evenly ground and no large chunks of bacon remain. 

In a large bowl combine the bacon with the remaining ingredients.  Mix gently until evenly combined.   Scoop the meatballs into 1 1/2-inch balls, making sure not to compress the balls while shaping (I used a Pampered Chef scoop). Place on a parchment lined pan and chill, uncovered, for at least two hours.

Heat the oven to 400F.  Once the meatballs are chilled heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Working in batches, add the meatballs and brown thoroughly on all sides.  Transfer meatballs to a baking sheet once browned.

Bake the meatballs until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 F, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the oven to broil when meatballs come out. Meanwhile prepare sub rolls and heat the spaghetti sauce. Spread inside of rolls with butter and toast on a griddle. Fill one side of sub with 4-5 meatballs, desired amount of sauce, and ¼ cup mozzarella cheese. Arrange subs on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Leftover BBQ Pork and Penne Skillet

 
All three of my men, my Hoosier Man and two Georgia Boys raved about this dish. I searched out recipes for leftover BBQ pork because we always have so much left from the Boston Butts that we've gotten from the Boy Scouts and I get tired of shredded pork sandwiches. This will definitely be added to the leftover BBQ pork repetoire of recipes.

Leftover BBQ Pork and Penne Skillet

1 package (16 ounces) whole grain penne pasta

3/4 cup chopped onion (about ½ large Vidalia onion)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups leftover shredded BBQ pork

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (like Rotel)

1 jar diced roasted red pepper

1 can beef broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Pepper to taste

1-1/2 cups shredded fiesta blend cheese

½ cup Italian leaf parsley, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, sauté the onion in butter and oil, until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in the pork, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, broth, cumin, and pepper; heat through. Drain pasta. Add pasta and cheese to pork mixture. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serves 6.

Fresh Blackberry Pie

 
Elizabeth, Matt, and Ella joined us for dinner the other night and I made dessert! Something I rarely do - except for small group dessert of course. I made a blackberry pie. Blackberries are in season right now hear in Georgia and very cheap. This was a flavorful pie, oh, so yummy!

Fresh Blackberry Pie

4 cups fresh blackberries

1 cup granulated sugar

3 heaping tablespoon corn starch

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon butter

1 pie crust, enough for a double pie crust.

3 tablespoons raw sugar

Rinse the blackberries in a colander and gently place in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl combine the sugar, corn starch, salt, and cinnamon. Pour mixture over the berries and gently stir in the mixture.

Lay one half pie crusts into bottom and up sides of pie pan. Pour berry mixture into pie pan. Cut lattices with second half pie crust and layer on top of berries. Pinch edges. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cover pie with foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle the raw sugar on the pie. Allow to cool. Serve just warm with vanilla ice cream.

Linguine with Hot Italian Sausage, Arugula, Tomatoes, and Baby Mozzarella

 
Awhile back I made my first dish ever that included arugula. I found out that I like arugula. And so does my Hoosier Man and Georgia Boys. This was a yummy dish that was inspired by my favorite cooking site For the Love of Cooking. I will be making this again. I have to say I was excited to find the hot sausages de-cased in the store today. I bought those for my Sausage Pepper Rustica that I adore. Anyways, enjoy a bit of spice, and a bit of fresh.

Linguine with Hot Italian Sausage, Arugula, Tomatoes, and Baby Mozzarella      Inspired by For the Love of Cooking

10 hot Italian sausages, removed from casings (I almost always use Johnsonville) and formed into mini balls

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 large can diced tomatoes tomatoes

2 cups of arugula

1 package balls of mozzarella cheese, sliced in half

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 package linguine, cooked per instructions

Cook the mini-ball sausages in a large skillet over medium high heat until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth to the skillet as well as the oregano, salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for a 8-10 minutes while the pasta is cooking. Taste and season extra, as necessary.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, toss to coat. Add cheese balls and gently fold into the pasta. Last add the arugula. Using tongs fold the arugula into the pasta and sauce. Serve immediately.

Leftover Shredded Pork Enchiladas

 
I used basically the same recipe as my Chicken Enchiladas for this recipe just used leftover shredded pork that we had from an 8-9 pound Boston butt that was smoked by our Boy Scout troop last fall. We already had shredded pork sandwiches and we had much leftover. I wanted a 'new' recipe and decided to just try this.

We loved this recipe. The flavors were fantastic. I actually like the shredded pork better. The cooking process was the same but the consistency of the combination from chopped pieces of chicken to shredded pork was very different. The shredded pork made the consistency a thick paste and made these babies very filling. And very yummy!

Leftover Shredded Pork Enchiladas 

4-5 cups shredded pork, chopped in pieces, leftover from the scrumptious Boston Butt that was smoked by your favorite Boy Scout troop

1 can chopped green chilies

1 cup sour cream

1 cup salsa (I use Chi Chi’s, but any kind will do – even homemade – ooh yum!), plus ½ - 1 cup

1 cup finely shredded fiesta cheese (with such cheeses as Monterey Jack, Asia go, Cheddar, Colby, etc.), plus 3 cups

1-2 teaspoon cumin

1 cup chopped cilantro (please use fresh you’ll thank me)

8 burrito-size four tortillas

Serve with: Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, salsa, homemade taco sauce, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

Preheat 350 degree oven. Spray a 9x13 dish with Pam (or some such). In a skillet combine the pork and green chilies and heat through on medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add the sour cream, salsa, and cheese to combine. The mix will be pretty thick). Stir in cumin and gently fold in cilantro. All this only takes about 10 minutes.

Spoon about ½ cup on each tortilla and roll up. Place each in the baking dish. (I usually have to use two dishes, unless I get the smaller tortillas – like fajitas-size) Spread a thin layer of the remaining salsa over the rolled-up enchiladas and cover the pan with foil.

Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and liberally cover enchiladas with remaining cheese. Leave foil off and put back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Roasted Stuffed Zucchini Boats

 
I served these up last night with Caesar Salad and my Smokey, Spicy, and Sweet Chicken Breasts. These are definitely a keeper. I used some leftover spaghetti sauce that I had in the refrigerator to stuff them. I don't think it would have been eaten otherwise because there was so little of it left. Another keeper recipe that I got the idea from For the Love of Cooking which is probably my favorite recipe site.

Roasted, Stuffed Zucchini Boats

(Adapted from For the Love of Cooking)

 

4 medium zucchini squash

½ cup marinara sauce, left over spaghetti sauce, or pizza sauce

¼ cup Panko bread crumbs

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Kosher salt

2 tablespoon butter, melted

 

Preheat oven 350 degree. Chop the ends off the zucchini and split in half. Using a table spoon, scoop just a bit of zucchini from center to make a ‘boat’ and place on a baking stone or pan. Sprinkle each zucchini boat with kosher salt and Italian seasoning. Divide the sauce between each of the eight boats. Sprinkle each boat with the Parmesan cheese and the Panko bread crumbs. Melt the butter and drizzle each zucchini boat with melted butter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden. 

Roasted, Stuffed Zucchini Boats

(Adapted from For the Love of Cooking)

 

4 medium zucchini squash

½ cup marinara sauce, left over spaghetti sauce, or pizza sauce

¼ cup Panko bread crumbs

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Kosher salt

2 tablespoon butter, melted

 

Preheat oven 350 degree. Chop the ends off the zucchini and split in half. Using a table spoon, scoop just a bit of zucchini from center to make a ‘boat’ and place on a baking stone or pan. Sprinkle each zucchini boat with kosher salt and Italian seasoning. Divide the sauce between each of the eight boats. Sprinkle each boat with the Parmesan cheese and the Panko bread crumbs. Melt the butter and drizzle each zucchini boat with melted butter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden.

Strange Garlic Soup

 
I say strange because while we all liked this soup we also know that I probably will not ever make it again. It wasn't a soup that I could eat 2-3 times a month if need be like my homemade Carrot Soup, homemade Tomato Soup, or homemade potato soup. This soup is one of those 'appetizer' soups in which you'd have a small cup of it rather than a bowl. If I were putting together a full course meal then maybe I'd make it again. But still we did like it and we did eat it.

Strange Garlic Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onions, thinly sliced (I used 1 large Vidalia/sweet onion)

12 cloves peeled garlic, smashed

1 cup dry white wine

1 quart chicken stock

1 Bay leaf

2 cups French bread, cubed

¾ cups heavy cream

¾ cups shredded gruyere

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the wine, cover, reduce heat, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the bread and allow the soup to sit without heat for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender puree the mixture until smooth (it will be smooth, but thick); Add the cream and salt and pepper to taste. Blend for just a minute again to combine the cream with the mix. Keep warm over low heat. Garnish with the cheese before serving.