Souper Saturday

"I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond."
-Mae West

Happy Saturday! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Today's soup recipe is a bit unusual, but it is very tasty. I add crispy wonton noodles to the soup when I eat it instead of crackers for a different flavor. Enjoy!


Carrot & Ginger Soup
Servings: 17 cups

Ingredients:

* 3 Lbs. baby carrots
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 tsp rosemary
* 1 tsp parsley
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 2 medium onions, peeled, diced
* 2 Tbsp ginger root, chopped
* 64 oz vegetable stock
* 32 oz carrot juice
* 2 Tbsp sesame oil
* 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
* 1 Tbsp kosher salt

Equipment Needed:

* Baking sheet
* Stockpot
* Handheld blender

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.) Toss carrots with olive oil, rosemary & parsley in large bowl.
3.) Spread carrots in a single layer on baking sheet.
4.) Roast carrots on center rack of oven 30-45 min, until lightly browned and tender.
5.) Set aside.
6.) Pour olive oil into stockpot and heat on medium.
7.) Stir in onions; cook 10 minutes.
8.) Add ginger; cook, stirring, about 2 min.
9.) Add roasted carrots and vegetable stock to pot.
10.) Bring to a boil; simmer 10 min.
11.) Mix in carrot juice.
12.) Carefully puree soup with handheld blender until smooth.
13.) Add sesame oil, hoisin sauce, and salt.
14.) Stir well and simmer 5 min.
15.) Serve warm.

"There was an Old Person in gray,
Whose feelings were tinged with dismay;
She purchased two parrots,
and fed them with carrots,
Which pleased that Old Person in gray."
-Edward Lear


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Mangia Monday!

"Life is too short, and I'm Italian. I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0."
-Sophia Bush

Hello! Sorry for the lull lately - I have been VERY busy! I hope you are doing well!
When I am busy, some things tend to suffer and one those things is cooking meals! It is so much easier to go out or pick up take-out, however that gets old REALLY fast.

I am lucky, our local grocery store publishes a magazine several times a year and it always has wonderful recipes. The following recipe has been published in their magazine a couple of times and the following is one of our favorites. Enjoy!

"No man is lonely eating spaghetti; it requires so much attention."
-Christopher Morley


Italian Pork Chops w/ Roasted Potatoes & Rappi
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 large eggs, whisked until foamy
* 1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
* 2 pkgs (about 1 lb each) boneless thin-sliced pork chops
* Sea Salt and cracked pepper
* 3/4 cup olive oil
* 3/4 cup marianra sauce, warmed (your choice)

Directions:

1.) Put flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls.
2.) Blend cheese into bread crumbs.
3.) Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
4.) Coat each cutlet with flour.
5.) Dip each cutlet in egg until well-coated & then cover with bread crumbs.
6.) Heat oil in pan on medium-high, 1-2 min.
7.) Add 3 chops at a time to the pan.
8.) Cook about 2 1/2 min, until edges turn golden-brown.
9.) Turn over; cook about 2 min, until internal temp reaches 145 degrees.
10.) Drain on paper towels.
11.) Repeat with rest of pork.
12.) Transfer to serving platter & cover to keep warm.


Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 Lbs. fingerling potatoes, larger ones halved lengthwise
* 4 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* Sea Salt
* Fresh cracked black pepper
* 4 Tbs. rosemary

Equipment Needed:

* Baking Sheet

Directions:

1.)Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.) Toss potatoes and garlic with olive oil in a large bowl.
3.) Season with salt, pepper & rosemary.
4.) Roast 25-30 min in oven, until potatoes are tender & light brown.


Cooked Rappi:

Ingredients:

* 6 cups water
* 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 6 cloves garlic, minced (2 Tbsp)
* 1 Tbsp salt
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 12 oz Rappi, chopped
* 4 Tbsp. grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Equipment Needed:

* Braising pan

Directions:

1.) Place water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, & oil in braising pan on high.
2.) Add rappi, then bring to a boil.
3.) Cover and cook 8-10 min, until rappi is tender and has changed color.
4.) Stir in cheese and serve with pork and potatoes.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta."
-Federico Fellini

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Mangia Monday!

Hello! I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was tiring, but good! I made this
recipe for dinner the other night. I hope you enjoy as much as we did!


Balsamic Marinated Pork Chops
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/8 cup olive oil
* 1 tsp soy sauce
* 2 tsp dry mustard
* 2 Tbsp rosemary
* 1 Tbsp minced garlic
* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* salt and pepper
* 4 Boneless center-cut pork chops, patted dry

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 400°.
2.) In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, oil and spices. Set aside.
3.) Heat oil in large non-stick skillet on medium high.
4.) Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.
5.) Sear pork until it is until golden brown, 2-3 min each side.
6.) Transfer pork to large baking dish.
7.) Pour marinade evenly over pork.
8.) Bake on center rack of oven until pork reaches 150°, 8-10 min.
9.) Plate pork and pour marinade over top prior to serving.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

Hello! I hope you are having a wonderful day everyone! I have a great meal to share with you - it is one of my husband's favorites!

"This is every cook's opinion -
no savory dish without an onion,
but lest your kissing should be spoiled
your onions must be fully boiled."
-Jonathan Swift



Italian-Style Slow-Roasted Pork Roast
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

*3 small onions, peeled, and thinly sliced
*2 navel oranges, unpeeled, thinly sliced
*1 pork tenderloin (4-5 Lbs.)
*6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
*1 Tbsp. fennel seed
* Salt and fresh black pepper
*2 Tbsp. corn starch
*2 Tbsp. cold water
*1 1/2 cups gravy (your choice)

Equipment Needed:

* Roasting Pan
* Medium sauce pan
* Gravy Separator

Directions:

The day before serving:

1.) Combine onion and orange slices in roasting pan.
2.) Diagonally score fat-side (top) of pork about 1/2" deep in a diamond pattern.
3.) Rub garlic and fennel seeds into top of pork.
4.) Season well with salt and pepper.
5.) Place pork on top of onion and orange slices.
6.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The day of the meal:

1.) Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2.) Remove plastic wrap from pork and bake uncovered, 2-3 hours.
3.) Remove pork from oven.
4.) Carefully place roast on clean platter and allow to rest.
5.) As roast rests, ladle hot juices in roasting pan into gravy separator.
6.) Pour de-fatted liquid (about 1.5 cups) into a medium sauce pan.
7.) Discard remaining liquid, onions, and oranges.
8.) Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.
9.) Add gravy to the juices in the sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
10.) Mix in corn starch mixture and cook, whisking well - about 2 min.
11.) Serve with pork.

"Politicians say they're beefing up our economy. Most don't know beef from pork."
-Harold Lowman


Cooked Rappi
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

*6 cups water
*3 Tbsp. lemon juice
*6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
*1 Tbsp. sea salt
*1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
*12 ounces fresh chopped rappi
*1/4 cup asiago cheese, grated

Equipment Needed:

*Large sauce-pan

Directions:

1.) Mix water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and oil in sauce-pan.
2.) Cook on high 2-3 minutes.
3.) Add rappi and bring to boil.
4.) Cover pan.
5.) Cook mixture 8-10 min. (rappi should be tender and has changed color)
6.) Place rappi on a serving dish.
7.) Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

"Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat."
-Fran Lebowitz


Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

*1 1/2 Lbs. fingerling Potatoes, washed and cut in half
*3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
*1/2 tsp. rosemary
*1/2 tsp. thyme
*1/4 cup onion, finely diced
*3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
* Sea Salt
* Fresh cracked black pepper
* Nonstick cooking spray

Equipment Needed:

*Large baking sheet
* Aluminum Foil

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.) Line baking sheet with foil and coat with non stick spray.
3.) Toss potatoes and olive oil in large bowl.
4.) Mix in herbs, onions and garlic - coating potatoes.
5.) Arrange in single layer baking sheet.
6.) Roast 25-30 min on center rack, until potatoes are tender and light brown.

"Leftovers in their less visible form are called memories. Stored in the refrigerator of the mind and the cupboard of the heart."
-Thomas Fuller

Have a great day and until tomorrow: Go Ahead & Indulge!