Skeleton's Strudel

Skeleton's Strudel

Picture taken from my private collection

Ingredients:

6 eggs, divided
1/4 cup mayonaisse
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1/2 pkg. (6 oz.) fresh baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 pkg. (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (1 sheet).

Create it!!

1. In large bowl, whisk together 5 eggs and mayonnaise until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove Bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.

3. Reserve 1/2 tbsp. bacon drippings in the skillet; heat over medium heat. Add spinach and garlic; cook for 1 - 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until spinach is wilted.

4. Add egg mixture, and cook until eggs are set, but not dry, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, tomato, salt, and bacon. Spoon mixture into a medium bowl; cover and chill for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 400 F; prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick spray.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry into a 12 x 10 in. rectangle, trimming edges as necessary.

7. Spoon the egg mixture down the center of the pastry, leaving a 3 in. margin on the sides and a 1 in. margin on the top and bottom. Cut pastry on the sides into 1 in. strips. Fold strips over the filling, leaving spaces to resemble a rib cage.

8. Carefully transfer strudel to prepared baking sheet.

9. In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg until smooth. Brush egg evenly over strudels.

10. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cut into slices. Serves 5 - 6.

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

picture taken from my private collection

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 - 2/3 flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips

Create it!!

1. preheat oven to 350 F

2. In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and mix well.

3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Use a whisk to make sure all the dry ingredients are well blended.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the shortening, sugar, and egg mixture. Mix well with either a mixer or a wooden spoon.

5. Add the pumpkin, mixing well with a wooden spoon, and add the chips.

6. using a muffin tin lined with paper liners, fill each liner about halfway full.

7. Bake at 350 F for 20 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in each muffin comes out clean.

* try using a variety of chips that you might have on hand: Chocolate Chips, White Chocolate Chips, Toffee Chips, Butterscotch Chips, Cinnamon Chips. Before adding any chips, divide the batter and add a different flavor chips to each portion of batter. After baking, have a taste test to see which muffin you like best.

Pumpkin Patch Soup

Pumpkin Patch Soup

Pictures taken from my private collection

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. fresh mushroom, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp curry powder
3 cups plus 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 can (15 ounces) solid packed pumpkin
1 can (12 ounces)evaporated milk
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
fresh chives, optional
1 medium-sized carving pumpkin for serving** (optional)

Create it!!

1. If serving from a pumpkin, preheat oven to 350 F. Remove "lid" from pumpkin and discard. Be sure to make the opening wide enough to scrape out the seeds and pulp and wide enough to serve from.

2. Prepare onions by chopping finely. Slice mushrooms. Using a spoon, crape out the pumpkin removing all the seeds and pulp. Place in oven and set timer for 20 minutes.

3. in a small microwave safe bowl, add 1/4 cup broth, onions, and mushrooms. Microwave this mixture on high for 3 - 5 minutes or until onion are tender.

4. Put this mixture along with the flour and curry powder in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat. Stir until blended. Gradually add the 3 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

5. Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat thoroughly.

6. Garnish with chives. Makes 7 - 1 cup servings.

** If serving from a pumpkin, place hollowed out pumpkin in 350 F oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove from oven. Pour soup into pumpkin just before serving

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (or less)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs, separated
1 cup 2% milk
2 tbsp canola oil
syrup of your choice

Create it!!

1. in a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, egg yolks, milk, and canola oil.

2. stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

3. use a mixer to beat egg whites until peak forms. Then, fold them into the batter.

4. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter onto a greased griddle at medium-high heat and cook until bubbles form on the top. Flip and cook on the other side. Pancakes should be a golden brown.

5. Serve with syrup. Makes about 12 - 4 inch pancakes. Try whipped cream on top for tasty garnish!

Pumpkin puree can be fresh or canned. If using canned, make sure there are no spices added.

Bats and Cobwebs

Bats and Cobwebs

Pictures taken from my private collection

Ingredients:

8 oz. dry 'baby bat' pasta (bow-tie)
1 can (28 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes in puree
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 pre-cooked ground beef crumbles
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp sugar
coarse salt
8 oz. 'cobweb' cheese (mozarella), cut into small cubes
1/4 grated parmesan cheese

Create it!!

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Cook the 'baby bats' according to pasta package directions. Drain and set aside. Drain tomatoes, reserving the puree and chopping up the tomatoes.

2. In a large saucepan, heat oil medium heat. Add garlic, cooking until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add meat, tomatoes and puree, oregano, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, 5 - 8 minutes. Season with salt.

3. Add pasta and half of the mozzarella. Toss to combine. Transfer to a baking dish.

4. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbly and top is lightly browned (about 10 - 15 minutes). While serving, watch the 'cobwebs' form from the mozzarella cheese. Makes 4 dinner servings.

Serve with 'Salty Bones' for real Halloween meal! 'Salty Bones' can be found in the recipe entitled, Halloween Snacks in a Hurry.

Change the pasta to spaghetti and have worms and cobwebs!

Serpent Sandwich

Serpent Sandwich

Picture taken from my private collection

Ingredients:

1 can crescent rolls
flour for dusting
4 tbsp mustard
10 oz. thinly slice ham
10 oz. thinly slice salami
10 oz. bologna
12 oz. monterey jack cheese, grated
3 egg yolks
2 whole cloves
2 small pimiento-stuffed olives
1 (1-inch) strip jarred roasted red peppers
liquid food coloring

Create it!!

1. preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Grease the foil and set aside.

2. Dust a flat surface lightly with flour. Spread out the crescent dough - do not separate. Pinch together the seams so that you have one piece of dough. Roll out to make a large rectangle. Make sure the dough is not stuck to the surface at all. Brush the dough with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Layer the meats down the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border on either end.

3. Top the meats with the cheese. fold one side of the dough over the filling, lengthwise. Then, fold the other half over and press to seal the filling inside. Take 1 egg yolk and beat lightly with a fork. Brush the egg yolk over the top of the dough. The yolk will act as the glue to hold. Fold the dough to make sure everything is sealed tight and to make an even thickness for the body of your serpent. Taper one end of the dough to form a tail shape. Form the other end into a head shape.

4. Beat the remaining egg yolk together. Transfer to three separate small bowls. Add some food coloring to each bowl - whatever colors you like! Using a clean paintbrush, "paint" the snake with the egg yolk/food coloring mixture.

5. Transfer the snake to the foil lined sheet. Form into an "S" shape so it looks like a slithering snake. Insert to cloves into the head to look like nostrils and 2 stuffed olives for eyes. Create a mouth and/or tongue with the roasted red peppers. Bake the snake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. makes 1 serpent or 10 servings.

Cinnamon Biscuits with Honey Butter

Cinnamon Biscuits with Honey Butter

picture taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1024&bih=411&tbm=isch&tbnid=RBah8JEUB29ynM:&imgrefurl=http://allcookiesbiscuits.blogspot.com/2012/12/cinnamon-biscuits-for-mum.html&docid=NDjKe7cGQ14LGM&imgurl=http://img.domainmoe.com/medium/5/Cinnamon%252520biscuits%252520for%252520mum5.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=jWECUeuXIM3HrQeRjIDwDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=156&vpy=104&dur=580&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=134&ty=107&sig=102151526607450527051&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=166&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:87

Ingredients:

2 cups self-raising flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup plus 2 tbsp buttermilk
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tbsp honey
1 pinch salt

Create it!!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne and stir to combine. add the butter and, using your fingers, a pastry blender, or two forks, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. add 1 cup of the buttermilk and mix gently just until it comes together into a dough. turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and knead gently for 30 minutes. using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness.

using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut the dough into as many rounds as possible. lightly work the remaining scraps back together and cut into as many additional rounds as possible. place the biscuits on a baking sheet; brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. transfer the biscuits to the oven and bake until puffed and golden brown on top, 12 - 14 minutes.

while the biscuits are baking, in a separate small bowl combine the softened butter and the honey and stir until a smooth, homogenous mixture is formed. makes about 10 biscuits.

recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

Pumpkin Patch Puffs

Pumpkin Patch Puffs

picture is from my personal collection

Ingredients:

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3 1/2 cups reese's puffs cereal
orange food coloring
pretzel sticks
green gumdrops

Create it!!

1. in a large pan melt corn syrup and sugar on medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. turn off heat and stir in the peanut butter, white chocolate chips, and orange food coloring. add the orange food coloring to desired color. (mix in quickly to that it doesn't cool down too fast). stir in the reese's puffs cereal.

2. let the mixture cool slightly. when it is cool enough to handle start making gold ball-sized balls, forming well with your hands. form them around pretzel sticks for pumpkin steams. place on waxed paper to set.

3. quarter the green gumdrops and use two slices for the pumpkin leaves.

makes 15 pumpkins

Shirred Eggs

Shirred Eggs

picture taken from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/shirred%20eggs

Ingredients:

1 tsp unsalted butter
4 thin slices virginia ham, about 1/2 oz. ea.
8 large eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 tbsp heavy cream
8 tbsp grated swiss cheese
2 tsp chopped parsley leaves
1 tsp chopped fresh chives

Create it!!

Heat oven to 375 F

butter 4 (6 oz.) ramekins with the butter and lay a slice of ham in each ramekin so that it sits flat on the bottom 9it's ok if it comes up the sides). crack 2 eggs into 2 separate small cups and pour stimultaneously into 1 of the ramekins so that the eggs sit side by side on top of the ham slice. season lightly with salt and pepper. repeat with the remaining eggs. place the 4 filled ramekins onto a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. bake until eggs are just beginning to set up and become opaque, 9 - 10 minutes.

remove from the oven and drizzle each ramekin with 2 tablespoon of the heavy cream and then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over the top of each. sprinkle the parsley and chives over the ramekins and then return to the oven. cook until eggs are just set up but yolks are still runny, 10 - 12 minutes, or to desired degree of doneness. remove from the oven and serve immediately.

recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

Vanilla Shortbread

Vanilla Shortbread

picture taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1024&bih=411&tbm=isch&tbnid=QWFRWCBrtyOGcM:&imgrefurl=http://www.kitchengadgetgirl.com/2010/12/15/holiday-cookie-recipe-exchange/&docid=MaDc3bmGBWpQkM&imgurl=http://www.kitchengadgetgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Shortbread-Fingers.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=xA0CUdivLou0rAfHv4CgDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=420&vpy=104&dur=953&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=133&ty=119&sig=102151526607450527051&page=6&tbnh=138&tbnw=200&start=76&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:83,s:0,i:335

Ingredients:

2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour, preferably italian
2/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp very unsalted butter
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
vanilla or ordinary sugar for sprinkling

Create it!!

preheat the oven to 350 degree F

put the confectioners' sugar, flour and cornstarch into the bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade and give them a quick blitz (just to save you sifting, which my most-hated job in the kitchen) before adding the butter along with the vanilla seeds you've scrapped out of a bean. (I find the easiest way to do this is by cutting the bean in half across, then splitting each short half lengthwise and pressing out the seeds with the point and edge of a sharp knife. don't even think of throwing the seeded bits of bean away: stash them in a jar of granulated sugar to use next time a recipe requires a vanilla sugar).

process again until the soft mixture coheres and begins to form a ball, loosely clumping around the blade. turn this into a jelly roll pan and press to form an even (or as even as you can make it) layer, using fingers or the back of a spoon, or both. be patient I promise you it fit smoothly.

using a tip of a sharp knife cut the pressed-out shortbread into fingers. I make two incisions lengthwise - i.e. to form three rows - and then make ten cuts down - so that you end up with eleven fingers per row. obviously, the aim should be to cut at regular intervals, but don't start getting your ruler out. just go by eye: uniformity is the province of the conveyer belt not the home of cooking. use the tines of a fork to make little holes in each marked out biscuit: I press down about three times, diagonally, on each each finger.

now that you've pressed, incised, and punctured, slide the jelly roll pan into the oven and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, by which time the shortbread will be pale still, but not doughy. expect a little goldenness around the edges, but shortbread should be not crispy but melting. remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes or so, before removing, with a palette knife and your fingers, to a wire rack. sprinkle with sugar and leave them to cool completely before storing in a tightly lidded tin. makes 33 pieces

recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson

"You need never to have baked anything in your life to be able to make these with untroubled ease!".

Chocolate Hazelnut Drop Cookies

Chocolate Hazelnut Drop Cookies

picture taken from http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1024&bih=411&tbm=isch&tbnid=_ir4RCgH1Kv7wM:&imgrefurl=http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/recipes/598/chocolate-hazelnut-drop-cookies&docid=YaGyign0pZN-TM&imgurl=http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/img/Recipes/Large/GH0314_Chocolate_Hazelnut_Drop_Cookies_CU.jpg&w=385&h=217&ei=2ggCUdaoHIrRrQeJnoD4AQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=174&vpy=4&dur=679&hovh=168&hovw=299&tx=171&ty=92&sig=102151526607450527051&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=244&start=0&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:87

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup, plus 1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread at room temperature (recommended: Nutella)

Create it!!

for the cookies: place an oven rack in the center of the oven. preheat the oven to 350 degree F. line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. set aside.

in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 2 - 3 minutes. beat in the vanilla. with the machine running, gradually add the flour until incorporated. beat in the chocolate-hazelnut spread. using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop 12 balls of dough onto each baking sheet. bake until the bottoms of the cookies flatten out slightly, 10 - 12 minutes. cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

place 1 cup of powdered sugar in a medium bowl. in batches, roll the cookies in the sugar until coated. store in an airtight container at room temperature. makes 38 - 40 cookies.

recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

"I grew up in the kitchen, mostly with my grandmother, my mother and my aunt Raffy".

Potato Pie

Potato Pie

Picture is my private collection

Ingredients:

store bought pastry for a single crust pie (or Basic Butter Pastry)
3/4 lb. small boiling potatoes, such as yukon gold or red bliss
1 medium onion
2 lbs. cooking greens, such as chard, spinach, collards, mustard, or a mixture
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 oz. gruyere cheese
1 oz. parmigiano-reggiano
1 cup ricotta
1/8 tsp nutmeg
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 eggs

Create it!!

prepare Basic Butter Pastry if needed. chill half while you make the filling. (freeze the remaining half for another use). preheat the oven to 375 F

scrub potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2 in. pieces (about 2 cups); place them in a medium saucepan. add cold salted water to cover by 1 inch. bring the water to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a knife.

meanwhile, finely chop the onion (about 1 cup). thoroughly, rinse and spin dry the greens, remove the tough stems, and coarse chop the leaves (about 24 cups). (if using the chard, the stems will be tender; reserve them to stir-fry for another meal).

heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium heat until hot. reduce the heat to medium-low; add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until it has softened. pres the garlic (about 2 teaspoons) and cook for 1 minutes. add half of the greens and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, or until they have wilted. remove the greens with tongs to a medium bowl. repeat with the remaining half of the greens. return the first batch of greens to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes more, or until any liquid that collected in the skillet has evaporated.

when the potatoes are done, drain and mash them with a potato masher. combine the potatoes and the green mixture in a large bowl and set aside to cool slightly.

meanwhile, roll out the pastry between lightly floured sheets of wax paper to make 12-inch round; pat the edges of the pastry to make the round even. fit the pastry into a 9 inch pie plate; press against the sides of the plate, allowing the excess to hang over the edges. put the pie plate in the fridge while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

grate the gruyere (about 1/2 cup) and parmagiano-reggiano (about 1/3 cup grated on the fine side of a box grater): fold the cheeses into the potato mixture along with the ricotta, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

lightly beat the eggs; reserve 1 tablespoon. stir the rest of the eggs into the potato mixture and spoon the filling into the pastry-lined pie plate. gently lift the overhanging pastry over the filling, pleating as necessary to make it fit. (it will make a 1 to 1 1/2 in. border covering the edges of the filing, which will be uncovered in the center). brush the pastry with the reserved 1 tablespoon egg.

bake the pie for about 40 minutes or until the filling is heated through and the pastry is golden. let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

recipe courtesy Sara Moulton

Crispy Baked Fish Sticks

Crispy Baked Fish Sticks

Picture is my private collection

Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
3 cups corn flake cereal
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. cod or snapper fillets, cut into 2 x 4 inch strips

honey mustard dipping sauce
3/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice

Create it!!

preheat oven to 420 F

using your fingers, coat a 9 x 13 inch baking sheet with the olive oil

to crush the corn flakes, pour them into a large re-sealable plastic bag. press down on the bag to push out most of the air, seal, and crush with a rolling pin. stop rolling when the flakes still have some texture and pour them into a wide bowl or onto a plate

in a shallow bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the mustard and garlic powder. pour the flour into a separate shallow dish or onto a plate and add the salt and pepper. rinse each piece of fish, pat it dry, and dredge it in the seasoned flour. shake off any excess flour and dip the fish into the buttermilk mix, then dredge it in the crushed corn flakes.

place the fish strips on the baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. bake until cooked through and crispy, about 20 minutes

meanwhile, for the dipping sauce: in a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, and lime juice. serve the fish, either with the sauce in one bowl or in individual ramekins, one for each person. serve 4 - 6 people.

recipe courtesy Cat Cora

"I have dishes that I cook over and over again because my family love them. But just because something is a classic doesn't mean I make it the same way every time"

Roast Beef Empanadas

Roast Beef Empanadas

Picture taken from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeF6A2gSDAocBjQPgo5SkM0FZEWnrW1ecjT9hWS1Y_PB0QOThmeH7-6dBEPkD1lF-QoncHYfdaGodsp6eR8cwlNWWcUV14niD4Mec_uBV-hdPvEN18YP7FQPnJuCD7KiUUvtqrZA/s1600/empanadas-de-carne_0.jpg

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded roast beef
1 cup prepared salsa
1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp ground cumin
2 refrigerated pie crust (9 in. ea.)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Create it!!

preheat oven to 425 F. coat a large baking sheet with a cooking spray

in a large bowl, combine the roast beef, salsa, roasted red peppers, both type of cheese, and cumin. mix well to combine.

roll each pie crust into a 12-inch circle. divide the beef mixture into four equal portions on top of one crust, placing one mound on each of four "quadrants". top with the second crust. using a pizza slicer or pastry wheel, cut the circle into four equal wedges. pinch the edges together to seal and transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet. using a fork, press into the edge of each empanada to ensure the seal. using a sharp knife, make a small slits in the top of each empanada to allow steam to escape during baking.

bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

meanwhile, to make the cilantro sour cream, in a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro. season to taste with salt and pepper.

serve the empanadas with the cilantro sour cream on the side for the dipping.

recipe courtesy Robin Miller

"this is the perfect comfort food" says celebrity chef and mom, Robin Miller. My advice? make a double batch and freeze the extras (before baking). You'll be incredibly happy you did!"

Tomato and Bean Stoup

Toamto and Bean Stoup

Picture taken from http://www.123rf.com/photo_8649179_white-bean-soup-with-ham-and-tomatoes.html

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 clover garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans
1 box (10 oz.) frozen green beans
salt and pepper
1 cup fresh basil, torn or shredded
grated parmagiano or romano, to pass at table
crusty bread, to pass at table

Create it!!

add olive oil to the pot. add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, stir. then stir in the onions, carrots, celery and zucchini. cook 10 minutes, then add in the stock, tomatoes (diced and sauce), and beans. bring soup up to a bubble and season with salt and pepper, to taste. simmer 5 minutes. turn off the heat and wilt the basil into the soup. ladle up the soup and serve with grated cheese and bread.

recipe courtesy Rachel Ray

"A stoup is thicker than a soup and thinner than a stew. I called my mom one rainy day from the road. I was getting a cold and really wanted soup for supper. She said to me she didn't know what she had on hand to make it with, but she'd come up with something. This was it. (Oh, you don't have to be sick to enjoy it)