Monday, February 23, 2009

Fun Website

I was surfing the net today and found this fun website. You just type in your leftover ingredients and it gives you recipes you can make to use them up. Have fun!
http://www.recipematcher.com/

Thursday, February 12, 2009

March Meeting of the Pioneers


Okay, now that we have enjoyed our evening of soups it is time to start planning for next month. Our meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:30 p.m. and will be at Kari Briggs home. Her address is: 42854 Normandy Lane and her number is 722-6762 if you need directions.

The theme for March is: Crock Pot or Fondue Pot.

It can be ANYTHING that is made in one of those two pots from appetizers to dessert and everything in between. Be brave and try something new this month. You may be able to add something new to your meal rotation. I know that ALL the soups are going to be added to my list of meals to make.


Hope to see you all there!

Soups Galore!

It was a great meeting of the “Pioneers” last night. We had some scrumptious soups to share and we were all warm and cozy after trying them. Thanks to everyone who came. Here are some of the recipes that we enjoyed.

Sybil Rees brought Creamy Artichoke Soup (Giada De Laurentiis)

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white part only, washed well and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 (8 oz) pkg frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 cups chicken stock
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS plus 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
2 TBS chopped chives, for garnish

Heat olive oil in heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches*, puree the soup. Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese and blend again to combine. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup mascarpone to soften.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese and top the cheese with chives.

*When blending hot liquids: remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Mary Smith brought Chicken Tortilla Soup (Sharon Beesley)

In a crockpot combine:

1 32-oz carton organic chicken broth
1 can black beans (do not rinse or drain)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
2 cups fresh salsa
3 frozen, boneless/skinless chicken breasts

Cook all day. Remove the chicken breasts and shred into bite size pieces. Return to crockpot. Add 1 can of corn, undrained.

To serve:
Place crumbled tortilla chips in bottom of bowls, ladle soup on top of chips. Serve with the following toppings:
Grated cheese, sour cream, sliced black olives, avocado chunks.

Mina Krutsch brought Longevity Noodle Soup (Swanson)

4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
8 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 eggs, beaten
16 ounces thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
¼ lb. Sliced cooked ham, cut into 2” strips (about 1 cup)
green onions, sliced (about ½ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced

1. Stir cornstarch, water and sesame oil in a small cup. Set aside.
2. Heat broth, and soy sauce in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture and stir it into the saucepan. Cook and stir until mixture is slightly thickened.
3. Reduce heat to low. Add the eggs in a slow, steady stream, stirring while adding. Remove the saucepan from heat. Divide the pasta, ham and green onions among 8 servings bowls. Ladle about 1-cup broth mixture into each bowl. Serve immediately.

DeeAnn Haworth brought Cream of Corn Crab Soup (Favorite Recipes from Quilters cookbook)

8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3 cups sour cream
2 7-oz cans crab meat
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp garlic powder
4 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
2-3 cups milk
1 ½ - 2 cups corn
1-2 cups croutons

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, crab, lemon juice and seasonings and mix well.
2. In a large saucepan melt butter. Add flour and cook until bubbly. Turn to low heat and slowly add milk, stirring continuously to make a smooth white sauce. Add corn and cream cheese mixture and heat through, stirring until smooth.
3. Serve with croutons.

The other recipes will be added when I receive them. Enjoy!
(I was so excited to try all the soups that I forgot to take pictures, so the only photo we have is one from Food Network of Sybil's soup.)