Category: Recipes (Page 17 of 55)

Cat Cora’s Chilled Melon Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

I had the amazing opportunity to interview Cat Cora on my show, and she graciously shared this soup recipe with us.  In Cat’s own words… “This chilled melon soup is impressive enough to be the first course for a formal dinner party yet so easy it can be a light, refreshing workday supper on a hot day. I either make the soup the night before or I whip it up as soon as I get home from work; then I can relax with a glass of wine and watch my boys run through the sprinkler while the soup chills. You can kick back as long as you like because this soup is happy to hang out in your fridge, chilling, until you’re ready to eat.”

Ingredients:

  • 2 Medium Cantaloupes (About 8 cups; Peeled, Seeded and Cut into Chunks )
  • 1⁄2 Cup Dry Sherry
  • 2 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
  • 3 Ounce Thinly Sliced Prosciutto
  • 4 Tablespoon Fresh Mint (Finely Chopped )
  1. Puree the cantaloupe chunks in a food processor until very smooth. (If the melon chunks don’t all fit in your food processor, just whip them up in several batches.) Add sherry and lime juice and pulse (or stir together) until thoroughly mixed, just 10 seconds or so. Pour into a serving bowl or pitcher and store in the refrigerator until the soup is well chilled, for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  2. About 15 minutes before you’d like to serve the soup, sauté the prosciutto in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until crispy, about 7 minutes. Let it cool and then top each serving of soup with about 2 teaspoons of crispy prosciutto; spoon it into a sort of mound in the center of the soup. Spoon the extra prosciutto into a small bowl and set it on the table so guests can help themselves to more if they like. For the mint garnish, sprinkle it around the edge of the soup.

Twist It:

This is a simple addition but it changes the soup. Add 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint to the food processor at the very end. If you’re processing in two batches, just add 1/4 cup to each batch.

Cat’s Note:

Don’t get too hung up on the weight of the melon called for here. Just aim for about 8 cups of melon chunks and, if you have more, spoon in a little more sherry and lime juice to taste.

 


Soup of the Week is brought to you by Sunset and Savor the Central Coast


 Click Here for More Soups of the Week

Zwiebelkuchen (German Onion Pie)

My brother Michael, superstar German teacher, provided the savory Recipe Central installment for the week. In all honesty, you can compare Zwiebelkuchen to a bacon-onion quiche. It is a very popular autumn dish in the winegrowing regions of southern Germany and is often served with the new wine and perhaps some wurst. Go ahead… create your own little bit of Germany.

Zwiebelkuchen (German Onion Pie)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups diced onion
  • 4 slices thick bacon, diced
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1 tsp dried Parsley
  • 3/4 tsp dried Dill weed
  • Pastry for a 9” single pie crust (buy or make your own)

Cook bacon until crisp.  Drain most of oil from pan and fry onions until soft and just about to turn brown.  Mix other ingredients; add in bacon and onions.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake for 20 minutes at 400 deg F; reduce temperature to 350 deg and bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until brown and set.

 

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Cinnamon-Burst Mini Scones

We all know that marriage, kids, and a good party are all things that are worth time and effort. Well, so are these amazing little morsels.  Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps (if I can do it, you can do it!), these tender tasties melt in your mouth and will make you the star of the show (um… assuming you want to share  : )

Cinnamon-Burst Mini Scones

Yield: 32 or 64 mini scones

Ingredients:

Scones:

  • 2-3/4 cups All-purpose flour                                      
  • 1/3 cup Granulated sugar                                      
  • 3/4 tsp Salt                                                                 
  • 1 Tbsp Baking powder                                   
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted butter, COLD, cut into chunks           
  • 1 cup Cinnamon chips, chopped                        
  • 2 large Eggs                                                               
  • 2 tsp Vanilla                                                               
  • 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup Milk or half-and-half                                       

Glaze:

  • 3-1/2 cups Confectioners’ sugar                                      
  • 7 Tbsp Water, enough to make thin glaze               
  • 1 tsp Vanilla                                                   

1.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.

2. Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it’s OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated. Remove mixing bowl from machine.

3. Stir in the cinnamon chips by hand.

4.  In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and 1/2 cup half and half or milk.

5. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together. Stir in additional milk or half and half if the dough seems dry, and doesn’t come together.

6. Scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface. Pat/roll it into an 8″ to 8 1/2″ square, a scant 3/4″ thick. Make sure the surface underneath the dough is very well floured. If necessary, use a giant spatula to lift the square, and sprinkle more flour underneath.

7. Cut the square into 2″ squares (4 x 4); you’ll have a total of 16 small squares. Now, cut each square in half diagonally, to make 32 small triangles (use a rolling pizza cutter).

8. Transfer the scones to a parchment-lined baking sheet. They can be set fairly close together.

9. Place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.

10. Bake the scones for 19 to 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the scones to cool right on the pan. When they’re cool and if you want, cut each scone in half once again, to make a total of 64 tiny triangles.

11. Make the glaze by stirring together the sugar, water, and vanilla.

12. To coat scones with the glaze, line a baking sheet (with sides) with parchment, and pour about half the glaze atop the parchment. Set the scones atop the glaze, swirling them around a bit to coat their bottoms. Then drizzle the remaining glaze over the top. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over each scone, to coat it entirely.  Transfer the scones to a rack set over parchment (to catch drips). Allow the glaze to set before serving the scones.

 

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Mostly Meatless Mondays! Turkey Sausage with Rice and Tomato/Cucumber Salad

While still meat, it’s a lighter version of animal protein.  Load up on the rice and tomato/cucumber salad and there you have it ~ mostly meatless on a Monday!  I prepared this for my family the other night, the flavor the rice absorbs from the beer and sausage is OUTSTANDING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serves 4

Turkey Sausage with Rice

4 Turkey Sausages – Herbed if you can find them

1 Cup of Beer

1 Cup of Water

2 packets Savory Choice Vegetable Stock (or your favorite)

2 Cups Long Grain White Rice (Substitute Brown or even Quinoa)

In a large sauce pan, add beer, water and vegetable stock.  Let come to a high simmer and add the Turkey Sausage.  Let cook for about 7-10 minutes.  Remove the sausages and set aside. 

Add the rice, stir and reduce to low, cover tightly with lid and cook for twenty minutes or until rice is done.

Fire up the BBQ to medium and finish cooking the sausages, about 5 minutes per side.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

5 Plum Tomatos or Heirlooms if you got ‘em

½ Red Onion, Sliced Thin

1 English Cucumber, washed and sliced

1 Stalk Celery, thinly sliced

3 T. Rice Wine Vinegar

EVOO to taste

S&P to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Add the vinegar and oil to your taste.  I like mine rather tart.  Start with 2 T. of the vinegar if you’re not sure.  Mix it all, taste it, S&P, adjust.  Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take away what’s already in the bowl.

Slice the sausage on a diaganol and serve over the rice.  Serve the salad in a separate bowl.

Chef Lee Hillson’s Roasted Red Onion and Rosemary Soup

Not only is Lee Hillson a good friend of mine, he’s also an amazing Chef!  Lee, executive chef at T-Cooks at the Royal Palm Resort, is a one-of-a-kind man who responded to the question “Hey, buddy, can you get me a soup recipe for the show?”  with “How about this one?”…in less than 30 minutes.  God, I love this guy…and you’re gonna love this soup!

Yield: 1 Gallon

Ingredients:

  • 5 each             Red Onions (halved)
  • 4 each             Cloves Garlic
  • 2 each             Rosemary Sprigs
  • 2 each             Yukon Gold Potatoes (medium sized)
  • 3 oz                 Heavy Cream
  • 1 gallons            Water

Toss onions, garlic, and rosemary with a little oil, salt and black pepper.  Roast in oven until onions are caramelized and soft.  Put in a pot with diced Yukon potatoes.  Add water and cook until potatoes are soft.  Add cream.  Puree and strain through chinois.  Season with salt.

 


Soup of the Week is brought to you by Sunset and Savor the Central Coast


 Click Here for More Soups of the Week

Risotto al Radicchio

Risotto al Radicchio is the final installment in our series of MOUTHWATERING recipes that will be prepared for Sunset’s Savor the Central Coast’s Main Event. Chef/Owner Antonio Varia of Buona Tavola will be preparing comfort food to the max—creamy, luxurious risotto! As always, Chef Antonio will highlight ingredients of the bountiful Central Coast. Try this recipe if you can’t make it to the Main Event to watch Chef Antonio in action!

Risotto al Radicchio

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 Spanish onion
  • 15 oz. uncooked Arborio rice
  • 12 oz. dry white wine
  • 3 oz. sweet butter
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 4 oz. Parmesan cheese
  • 2 small heads radicchio
  1. Chop onion, sauté in pan with olive oil until golden.
  2. Add uncooked rice and quickly mix with onion, then add wine. Let wine evaporate.
  3. Start adding broth one cup at a time, stirring occasionally. Finally, add butter, Parmesan cheese, and finely chopped radicchio. Mix well with love.
  4. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve. Serves about 6 as a side dish. Bon appetito!

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