Chickpea and Rosemary Soup

This is a yummy soup that everyone in my family liked (well, Ava at least didn't hate it). ;)

Chickpea and Rosemary Soup

Servings: Serves 6

·         3 tablespoons olive oil

·         8 cloves garlic , finely chopped

·         1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves , minced or 1 tsp dried

·         1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

·         3 cans (15 to 19 ounces each) chickpeas , rinsed and drained

·         4 cups chicken broth

·         2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

·         Salt (about 1 tsp)

Sourdough bread and white cheese (Swiss, mozzarella etc.)

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes; let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, top slices of sourdough bread with white cheese and toast.  With immersion blender, blend about half of the soup. Stir lemon juice and salt into soup to taste. Serve with bread for dipping.

 

Tortellini Caesar Salad

This original recipe called for chicken, but I left it out.  Everyone liked this - Ava even ate it (with some encouragement;).

Tortellini Caesar Salad

Ingredients

• 1 package (16-20 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 package (10 ounces) hearts of romaine salad mix
• 1-1/2 cups grape tomatoes (or 2-3 diced tomatoes)
• 1 can (6-1/2 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• creamy Caesar salad dressing, to taste
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

• Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sprinkle with some salt and pepper and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds then remove from heat. In a large bowl, combine salad mix, tomatoes, olives, tortellini and onion mixture. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

Smoked Gouda Veggie Melt

These were yummy.  Make sure you don't go too thin on the bread.  Also, I used 12 slices instead of 8 because I had enough ingredient and the mayo was a bit much on just 8 slices.

Smoked Gouda Veggie Melt

• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 slices Italian bread (1/2 inch thick – don’t go thinner) (or any similar bread)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese (or 12 slices)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°. Place mushrooms, broccoli, pepper and onion
• in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat.
• Roast 10-12 minutes or until tender (make sure that no pieces are underneath other pieces or they will remain crunchy).
•  
• Meanwhile, place bread slices on a baking sheet. Mix mayonnaise and
• garlic; spread over bread slices.
•  
• Change oven setting to broil. Spoon vegetables over bread slices;
• sprinkle with cheese. Broil 3-4 in. from heat 2-3 minutes or until
• cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

Overnight Eggnog French Toast Bake

I was going to make this for our New Year's Day breakfast (today) but Jeff had plans to go snowboarding, so we had it for New Year's Eve breakfast.  Anyway, it's really yummy.  I left off the nuts, for the sake of those who think that would be just disgusting, but I think next time I'll put them on a little portion of it, because Mia and I like walnuts.  : )  I also added the notes from the original recipe.  I didn't read them before I made this, but I think the note about the glass pan is a great one, especially since we have all had at least one incident with glass pans.  It turned out fine this time, but you just never know.....   : )

Overnight Eggnog French Toast Bake

Yield: 6-8 servings | Prep Time: 10 minutes + overnight chill time | Cook Time: 45-50 minutes | Source: Table for Two original

INGREDIENTS:

1 large loaf of French bread, cut into large 2-inch cubes

2 1/2 cups egg nog

6 large eggs

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large measuring cup  or bowl, whisk together egg nog, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish  with cooking spray. Add the bread cubes into the pan. It will be a tight fit but that’s ok. Press them down gently, if need be.

Gently pour the eggnog mixture all over the bread cubes. Using the back of a spatula, press down on the bread cubes to help the bread soak up the liquid a bit. The bread will continue to soak up the liquid overnight.

Top the dish with chopped walnuts and cover tightly with foil. Place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Unwrap the dish (save the foil) and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. The top will be nice and golden brown.

After 30 minutes, cover the dish with the foil you saved and bake for another 15-20 minutes, just to make sure the center is set and everything is warmed through.

Remove from oven and serve hot with maple syrup.

Notes:

It is okay if the middle of your dish is a tiny bit runny – that’s how it’s supposed to be and it is safe to eat.  If you’re worried, you can bake it longer until the middle is completely set/dry. This might take a bit longer than my suggested 45 minutes total bake time.

If using a glass baking dish, place the glass baking dish into the oven as it is preheating so the glass baking dish doesn’t crack. If you place it in the oven at 350 degrees straight from the fridge, your dish is more prone to cracking!

Recipe from www.tablefortwoblog.com

Citrus Marinated Pork Rib Roast

This was my first time cooking a pork rib roast.  It looks all fancy-schmancy, but it was really easy to make.  The butcher will "french cut" (remove the meat around the ends of the ribs) the roast for you, if it doesn't come that way, but I found it this in the meat case.  And I love that it's affordable, too!  I didn't marinade overnight, just while we were at church.  But I think I'll try to remember to marinate overnight next time.

Citrus-Marinated Pork Rib Roast

1. Two 5-bone pork rib roasts, about 4 pounds each
2. 6 garlic cloves
3. 6 whole cloves
4. 3 lemons, zested and juiced
5. 3 oranges, zested and juiced
6. 20 fresh bay leaves  (I used about 8 dry leaves)
7. 8 rosemary sprigs (I used dry, and I just added a tablespoon or two)
8. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. 
    
    1. Using a paring knife, make three 1-inch-deep slits on the fatty side of each pork rib roast closest to the bones. Stud the garlic cloves with the whole cloves and stuff them into the slits.
    2. In a baking dish, combine the ingredients, except for the pork.  Mix well.  Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. Bring the pork rib roasts to room temperature before roasting.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Remove one roast from the marinade.  In a large skillet, brown the roast on all sides, over moderate heat.  Return roast to marinade and repeat with remaining roast.  
    4. Cover the roasts and roast for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, rotating the pan once or twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 140°. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes. Cut the pork between the rib bones into 10 chops. Transfer to plates and enjoy!

    Recipe and picture from foodandwine.com.  I altered the recipe from theirs.