Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Fall is on the calendar so Joan decided to warm us up with this soup. She said that using the coleslaw mix made this an easy preparation.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package coleslaw mix
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 rice (white or brown)
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt

In a 6-quart pot, brown beef. Add coleslaw mix and onion; cover and cook for 4 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, beef broth, water, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt; bring to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, or until rice is cooked.

Chicken Sausage, Peppers & Tomatoes with Linguine

Joan and I were introduced to the taste of chicken-feta sausage during our visit to the Bella Rose Bed & Breakfast. So when Joan found this recipe in the summer 2012 issue of Kraft Foods Food & Family, she purchased some chicken-feta sausage from Wegmans and prepared this meal for dinner.

What You Need:
1/2 lb. linguine, uncooked
1 pkg. (12 oz.) chicken-feta sausage links, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
 3 bell peppers (assorted colors), coarsely chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Make It:
Cook pasta as directed onpackage, omitting salt.
Meanwhile, cook sausage and peppers in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 4 to 6 min. or until sausage is heated through and peppers are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 5 to 6 min. or until tomatoes ares softened, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta. Add to skillet with 2 Tbsp. cheese; mix lightly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

PREP 25 min.    MAKES 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each.

Tortellini Meatball Soup

Even though plans for dinner were tentatively made, Joan decided to prepare this soup. Glad she did. Adding a garden fresh salad to complement the soup produced a satisfying meal.

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 7 minutes

1 cup chopped sweet onion (1 small)
2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 32-oz. container reduced sodium or all-natural chicken broth
1/2 cup of water
1/2 of a 16-oz. pkg. frozen Italian-style cooked meatballs
1 9-oz. pkg. refrigerated 4-cheese tortellini
1 tsp. Italian seasoning, crushed
3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
3 tbsp. chopped bottled roasted red sweet pepper
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt and ground black pepper
1 tbsp. snipped fresh basil

In a Dutch oven cook ans stir onion, carrots, and garlic in hot olive oil for about 3 minutes or until tender. Add chicken broth and water. Bring to boiling. Add meatballs, tortellini, and Italian seasoning. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Add spinach, red pepper, and lemon juice. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes more or until tortellini are done. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in basil. Ladle into bowls.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Chili-egg Puff

After attending the Dukes of September concert at Canadaigua's CMAC Joan and I stayed overnight at the Bella Rose B&B. For breakfast Renee and Chris, the innkeepers, served this egg dish. Renee was kind enough to send us the recipe via email.

Chili-Egg Puff, courtesy of Renee, Bella Rose B&B

10 eggs

½ c. flour

1 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

1 pint (16 oz) cottage cheese

8 oz pkg jack cheese, shredded (or more if desired.  Original recipe called for one full pound!)

½ c. butter, melted

2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles

Beat eggs till light and lemon colored.  Add flour, baking powder, salt, cottage cheese, jack cheese and melted butter, blending till smooth. Stir in chiles.

Pour mixture into a well-buttered 9x13 baking dish.  Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until top is browned and center is firm.

Serve hot.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Ingredients can be modified for fewer portions.

(I use one can of green chiles and sub pepper jack cheese to add an additional kick and I also serve it in individual ramekins for a better presentation.)

Sensational Scones

After attending the Dukes of September concert at Canadaigua's CMAC Joan and I stayed overnight at the Bella Rose B&B. For breakfast Renee and Chris, the innkeepers, served these scones. Renee was kind enough to send us the recipe via email.

Sensational Scones, courtesy of Renee, Bella Rose B&B & Cuisine Magazine

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

12 T. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 cup dried currants, mini chocolate chips, toasted nuts, or dried fruit

1 T. lemon or orange zest, mince

1 cup heavy cram. cold

1 egg blended with 1 T. water

Coarse or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flour sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Blend in butter with your fingers, smashing cubes into flour.  (Take care that the butter does not become too soft and oily.)  Add currants (or other choice) and zest; toss to combine.  Make a well in center of bowl and add cream, mixing together with your hands until just blended.  Knead and pat dough into an 8” circle.  Don’t worry if the dough is crumbly – just gather until it holds together.  Cut into wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet spacing 2” apart.

Brush with egg and water mixture, then sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and set.  Cool briefly on racks; serve warm.

Malted Milk Ball Ice-Cream Dessert

You know what Forrest Gump's momma always said. With you dessert you get the best malted milk balls you have never tasted. Joan originally made this in July of 2008. Recently she made it for a friend who requested a copy. So have updated the web page.

Preparation Time : 8 minutes Chill: 3 hours

3 1/3 cups malted milk balls (10 1/2 ounces)
1 container (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
12 frozen rectangular ice-cream sandwiches
1 cup hot fudge sauce, warmed, if desired

Place malted milk balls in resealable plastic food-storage bag. Tap with rolling pin or meat mallet until coarsely crushed. Reserve 1/3 cup.

Mix remaining crushed malted milk balls and the whipped topping.

Arrange ice-cream sandwiches in bottom of rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches, cutting sandwiches if necessary to cover bottom of pan. Spread whipped topping mixture over ice-cream sandwiches. Sprinkle with reserved crushed malted milk balls. Cover and freeze 2 to 3 hours or until firm.

For servings, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Top with fudge sauce. 12 servings.

Success Hint: Frozen malted balls crush more easily than crushed when at room temperature.

Special Touch: Substitute Neapolitan or chocolate ice-cream sandwiches for regular vanilla ice-cream sandwiches.

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

Raided the refrigerator to make a cold plate for dinner. Then Joan wanting to add an extra touch to the meal prepared this hearty soup. She discovered the recipe in the Lowville paper.

One 15.5-ounce can cannellini drained and rinsed
1 TB. olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about one cup)
1 medium carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini (about 1/2 pound), diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1 Tb. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
2 tsps. chopped fresh sage of 1/2 tsp. dry
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
One 14.5-ounce canno-salt-added diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (2 cups lightly packed), chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In  a small bowl, mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon; set aside.

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes and brng to a boil.

Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves; cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve with the Parmesan, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.