Zuppa Toscana Soup

I've had this recipe for years and it's one of our favorites.  It's just like the Zuppa Toscana soup that you get at Olive Garden - yum!  You can skip sauteing the onions if you'd like - Jeff just likes them cooked very soft.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage (we like spicy)

1/2 lb. smoked bacon, chopped

1 qt. water

2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

2 large russet potatoes, cubed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 med. onion, chopped

2 C. chopped kale or Swiss chard

1 C. heavy whipping cream or half & half

salt and pepper to taste

shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking it into small pieces as you fry it; drain and reomve sausage from pan.  Set aside.

In same skillet, brown bacon until crisp; drain and set aside.  Saute the onions until soft.

Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.  Add sausage and bacon to pot and simmer for 10 more minutes.  Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper and heat through.  Garnish individual servings with shredded cheese, if desired.

Serves 8

Steak Tips with Mushroom-Onion Gravy

This was a delish dinner and pretty quick to put together.  Jeff, of course, would prefer that I leave the onions out, but Amelia and I really enjoyed them.  I used about 1/2 of a medium sized onion.  I'm not sure why you have to heat the whole pan in a 500° oven rather than just searing the meat on high heat but we did it anyway.  We just used a London broil that I had in the freezer and I forgot to add the red wine vinegar at the end, so go ahead and add that in if you feel so inclined.  ;)  We served this with mashed potatoes.  Deeeelish!

Steak Tips with Mushroom-Onion Gravy

2 pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
salt and pepper
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 pound mushrooms, trimmed, sliced 1/4 inch thick (white or baby portobello)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp minced fresh thyme  or 1/4 tsp. dried
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can beef broth
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2 tsp red wine vinegar

Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 500°.  Meanwhile, pat steak tips dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
When oven reaches 500°, carefully remove skillet from oven using potholders and place over medium heat; turn off oven.  Being careful of hot skillet handle, add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until just smoking.  Brown half of the steak tips on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to bowl.  Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining steak tips; transfer to bowl.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to fat left in skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering.  Add mushrooms, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms have released all their liquid, about 5 minutes.  Continue to cook until vegetables begin to brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
Stir in garlic, tomato paste, thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in broth and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps.
Bring gravy to simmer, then stir in browned beef and any accumulated juices.  Recuce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked to your preference. 
Remove from heat and stir in parsley and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve alone or with mashed potatoes.

Recipe altered slightly from America's Test Kitchen

KEY LIME COCONUT CUPCAKES

These were SO delish.

KEY LIME COCONUT CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKES

·        1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

·        2 teaspoons baking powder

·        1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

·        1 cup granulated sugar

·        1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

·        3 eggs, separated

·        1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·        1/2 cup coconut milk

·        ½ tsp coconut extract

·        1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, optional

FILLING

·        3 tablespoons coconut cream

·        2 ounces cream cheese, softened

·        1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

·        1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional

·        ¼ tsp coconut extract

FROSTING

·        1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

·        3 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided

·        2 tablespoons lime zest*

·        1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice*

·        Cream or milk, if needed

·        1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing until well blended. Add vanilla and coconut extract beat until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the coconut milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and beat until combined.

2. In another clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir one-fourth of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten, then fold in the remaining egg whites until combined. Be careful not to over mix. Gently fold in the shredded coconut. Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add the coconut cream, coconut extract, cream cheese and sugar. Whip on medium speed for one to two minutes. Slowly fold in the shredded coconut.

4. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Slowly add 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add lime zest, lime juice and remaining sugar. Beat for an additional one to two minutes.

5. To assemble the cupcakes, remove a small amount of the center part of the cupcake using a cupcake corer or pairing knife. Divide the coconut filling evenly among the cupcakes, filling the hole in the middle of the cupcake. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Garnish with sliced key limes, as desired.

De-Skunking Spray for Dogs

I found this recipe several years ago when Dakota got skunked.  Avery just text me asking for it for Cora so I thought I'd put it on here so that we can all find it easily because previously I just had it scribbled on a post-it note.  So, here you have it.  It works, but I hope you never (or rarely) have to use it. 

De-Skunking Spray

1 Qt. hydrogen peroxide
1 C. baking soda
2 tsp. dish soap
1 Gal. water

Mix together in a large bucket.  Carefully pour over dog, being careful to avoid the eyes. 
Rinse and repeat as needed.

Ravioli with Mushroom Cream Sauce

This was really good and it was nice because there's chicken broth, not just cream, in the sauce. It lightens it up a bit and adds a more savory flavor.

Ravioli with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients

·        24 ounces mushroom or cheese ravioli 

·        8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

·        3 whole garlic cloves, peeled and minced

·        3 tablespoons butter

·        2 cups low sodium chicken broth

·        1 cup heavy cream

·        1 teaspoon Italian herb blend seasoning

·        1/2-1 teaspoon salt, to taste

·        1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if using ground black pepper

Instructions

1.     In a large skillet combine butter, garlic, and mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are tender and garlic is fragrant.

2.     Stir in broth, bring to a simmer, then stir in heavy cream. Simmer til reduced by half and creamy (about 5-7 minutes – may not thicken up too much, but still tasty).

Fill a large pot with 4 inches of water, bring to a boil. Add ravioli and boil for 3 minutes, then drain and blanch the ravioli by running cold water over it immediately. Toss ravioli in 1 teaspoon olive oil to keep it from sticking together.

3.     Stir in dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed.

4.     Gently stir in ravioli.

5.     If desired, garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, parsley or thyme, and cracked black pepper before serving.

Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake

Jeremy made this labor intensive cake for my birthday and it was so yummy!

Butter Toffee-Pecan Layer Cake

BROWN BUTTER TOFFEE FROSTING

• 1 cup unsalted butter, divided
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CAKE

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole buttermilk
• 1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

• 1/2 cup toffee bits (such as Heath Bits ’O Brickle Toffee Bits)

Prepare the Frosting: Melt 3/4 cup of the butter in a deep, heavy-duty saucepan over low. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring butter to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter is fragrant and milk solids start to brown, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Remove pan from heat, and stir in brown sugar, cream, syrup, and salt. Return pan to medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, exactly 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat, and pour into bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until mixture is lukewarm, about 8 to 10 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat on low speed until combined after each addition. Beat until frosting is completely cool and consistency is thick, creamy, and spreadable, 6 to 10 minutes. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated after each addition. Cover frosting, and let stand at room temperature until ready to use.

Step 3

Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 2 (9-inch-round x 2-inch-deep) cake pans with cooking spray, and line bottoms with parchment paper (don’t skip this step). Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until thick and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat on medium speed until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, one-third at a time, to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low just until smooth after each addition. (Do not overbeat or the cake will be tough.) Fold in chopped pecans and toffee bits. Divide batter evenly between cake pans, smoothing surface.

Step 5

Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert layers onto wire rack, and peel off parchment paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Step 6

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread evenly with 1 heaping cup of frosting. Chill 15 minutes. Top with remaining cake layer, and frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle pecan halves in a ring around top edge of cake. If desired, crush sea salt with your fingers, and sprinkle over pecans. Serve immediately, or store, covered, at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.