Wedding Soup

Here is another really simple and good Rachel Ray recipe. Wedding soup is basically an Italian meatball soup.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef, pork and veal combined
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, a couple of handfuls
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried pasta, rings, broken fettuccini or ditalini
1 pound triple washed fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches, recipe followsIn a deep pot over medium heat add oil, chopped carrots, celery and onions and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Cover pot and cook veggies 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg.
Uncover your soup pot and add broth and water to the pot. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start to roll meat mixture into small balls, dropping them straight into the pot. You are making meat dumplings that will cook in the broth. When you are done rolling the meat, add pasta to the soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup 10 minutes. When pasta is tender, stir in chopped spinach in batches. When spinach has wilted into the soup, the soup is done and ready to serve. Adjust your seasonings. Serve soup with crusty bread or grilled 4 cheese sandwiches.Grilled 4 Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, cracked away from skin
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1 cup shredded Asiago
* All of these cheeses are available in specialty cheese case and dairy aisle already shreddedIn a small skillet over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic. Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.
Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic oil and place buttered side down in skillet. Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equally over the 4 slices. Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up. Flip the grill cheese sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden. Cut grilled 4 cheese sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.

Sweet and sour shrimp

Restaurant quality sweet n sour shrimp. We all love it!!


6 tablespoons chicken stock or water
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons pineapple or orange juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound shrimp
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 cup 1-inch chunks green bell peppers
1 cup pineapple chunks
12 maraschino cherries
6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
Hot white rice, accompanimentTo make the sauce, in a bowl, combine 1/4 cup of stock, the ketchup, sugar, juice, vinegar, soy, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the remaining 2 tablespoons of stock and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the ginger, garlic, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes. Set aside for 10 to 20 minutes.

Heat a large wok over high heat. Add the oil, swirling to coat the sides and bottom of the pan. Add the shrimp, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan. Add the onions and peppers and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the sauce and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Return the shrimp to the pan and add the pineapples, cherries, and green onions. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and serve over rice.

Curry pot pie

SOOOO GOOOD

4 cups frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots
1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 package puff pastryPreheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown.
In a saute pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat the onion and celery. In another saucepan, heat the broth and milk. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water. Add the flour and curry and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened. Add the parsley, salt and pepper. Toss the browned vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a shallow baking pan, or a large terra cotta pot base, lined with foil, and top with 6 to 8 circles of puff pastry. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Heavenly meatball

Yummmy

Danish Meatballs

Meatballs

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or mace
• 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 beef bouillon cube or equivalent beef base or granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional

In a large bowl, lightly combine ground beef with 1/3 cup parsley, onion, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, nutmeg, and 1/4 cup of the flour. Add milk and egg; stir just until ingredients are blended.

Shape meat mixture into 24 meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter; roll meatballs in remaining 1/2 cup flour. Heat butter in a large heavy skillet; brown meatballs on all sides and cook for about 20 minutes, or until done. Remove to a warm platter and keep warm while making sauce.

Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the skillet. Add flour, bouillon cube or granules, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Gradually add 2 cups water, stirring until smooth. Bring sauce to boiling point, stirring constantly. Spoon some of the sauce over the meatballs then sprinkle with parsley if desired. Serve remaining sauce at the table.

Yaki soba

I never knew it's this easy to make yaki soba. It really is quite flexible and you can put whatever veggetable or meat you like in there

1 yakisoba noodle package
1/4 cup of onion
4 oz mushroom
4 oz broccoli
4 oz green peas and carrots, chopped
8 oz of chicken
salt
pepper
Worcestershire's sauce
soy sauce
sugar
oil

Heat a tablespoon of oil in pan
Sautee all vegetables and meat until cooked through
Remove vegetables from the pan
(cook the noodle, follow instructions on package. here is what mine says)
Put 1/4 cup of water and a couple tablespoon of oil in the same pan
Add noodle and loosen the noodle up
Add vegetables back in
Add some soy sauce, worcestershire's sauce, sugar. You can just eyeball and do it by taste

Ta da. Yakisoba!

Balsamic Chicken

I don't remember where i found this online but it is so simple it is easy to recall. It is so simple but so easy to make.

1 lb onion, rough diced
4 chicken thigh
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
5 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Olive oil

1. Heat the oil in medium heat in a pan
2. Sautee onion for 5 min with 1/4 tsp pepper
3. Add chicken, 1/4 tsp pepper, oregano, thyme, 4 tsp balsamic vinegar to the pan.
4. Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Cover and simmer for at least 25 minutes
5. Check for the readiness of the meat. If the thighs are cooked, crank up the heat and boil off the liquid for about 2 min. Then splash with the last tsp of vinegar and cook for another minute.

That's it!

Another yummy shrimp recipe

Found this after I was desperate to make something for my son when I only had shrimp. It was YUMMY. I kept hoping he won't finish the food, so I can.

Asian Grilled Shrimp ingredients list:

1 lb of shrimp.
3 garlic cloves, whole, smashed.
3 slices of fresh ginger.
1 tablespoon of rice wine.
1 tablespoon of soy sauce.
1 tablespoon of honey.
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds.
2 teaspoons of five spice powder.
1 teaspoon of sesame oil.

Instructions for Asian Grilled Shrimp:

Combine all of the ingredients in a sealable bag and mix thoroughly.

Leave to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill to high.

Oil the grill. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and place straight on the grill.

Cook for 2 minutes per side until it turns pink.

Put the rest of the marinade in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Reduce by half and drizzle over the grilled shrimp.