Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini


3 Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 box of beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
1 28oz can of plum tomatoes chopped
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
pepper flakes to taste
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 red pepper
2 tsp honey



DIRECTIONS
In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in sausage and all remaining ingredients except tortellini. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Skim fat from the soup. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Pre cook tortellini add to the soup bowls dish up hot soup Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.
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Dressing

Dressing
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup and 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1. In a container, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar, and mix vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Creamy Garlic And Green Olive Salad Dressing Recipe

Creamy Garlic And Green Olive Salad Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 cup green olives, pitted and drained
Directions
1. Combine all except olives in blender or food processor.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add olives all at once and process just until chopped.
4. It should be a bit chunky.
5. Chill until ready to use.

Romano's Macaroni Grille Vodka Rustica Ingredients

Romano's Macaroni Grille Vodka Rustica Ingredients
GRATINATA SAUCE
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons marsala wine
1 lb penne rigate cooked
2 cups heavy cream
12 medium shrimp peeled and deveined
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Prosciutto about 2 ounces thick-sliced, chopped
1/4 cup vodka
TOPPING
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon chicken bullion
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon cornstarch
GARNISH
1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
12 sliced pimientos
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
4 sprigs rosemary
Instructions for Romano's Macaroni Grille Vodka Rustica
Preheat bbq grill to high.Prepare gratinata sauce by melting 3 tbls of butter over medium/low heat. Add garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. Be sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add the marsala wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer and keep it there for 10 minutes or until it's thick. Cover sauce and remove from heat.Cook past following directions on the package (7-9 minutes in boiling water). You want the pasta tender, but not mush (al dente). Strain pasta and set it aside when it's done.Pound the thick end of your chicken breast a bit with a kitchen mallet to make them a uniform thickness. Rub chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper. Spear the shrimp on skewers (6 per skewer should work fine), then rub them with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. When chicken is done, slice each breast into strips.Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Build each dish in a large shallow baking dish. Or you can use a 9 inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Load 3 cups of pasta into each baking dish. Add one quarter of the chicken, 3 shrimp, and 2 tbls of prosciutto onto each serving. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of gratinata sauce on each serving and toss to coat. Combine 3 tbls of grated Parmesan cheese with 1 1/2 tsp paprika, then sprinkle about 1 tbls of this mixture over the top of each serving. Bake the dishes for 10-12 minutes, or until tops begin to brown. Arrange 3 pimentos on the top of each serving, then jab a sprig of rosemary into the center an serve.

Chicken bean and cheese buritto

Chicken bean and cheese buritto

This burrito recipe is perfect for a party or when you have a lot of mouths to feed without all the fuss. Serves 8-12.
2 chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
one 1-pound cans black, pinto, or pink beans, rinsed and drained
1 can refried beans
1 cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 fresh or pickled jalapeño chilies if desired, seeded and chopped (wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander if desired
twelve 7- to 8-inch flour tortillas warmed
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack (about 6 ounces)
guacamole and tomato salsa as accompaniments
Make the filling:Bring salted water to a boil and add chicken. Cook until you can shred the chicken with a fork. In a large heavy skillet cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the beans, and mash about half of them coarse with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the chicken, tomato sauce, the cumin, the chilies, and salt and black pepper to taste, simmer the mixture, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is thickened slightly, and stir in the coriander.
Working with 1 warmed tortilla at a time and keeping the others covered, spread about 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center of each tortilla and roll the tortillas, enclosing the filling but keeping the ends open. Arrange the burritos, seam sides down, in one layer in a baking dish, sprinkle them with the Monterey Jack, and bake them, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 minutes. Serve the burritos with the guacamole and the salsa.

ZUCCHINI-APPLE BREAD

Recipe of the Month: PARMESAN ZUCCHINI, TOMATOES AND ONIONS

Recipe of the Month: PARMESAN ZUCCHINI, TOMATOES AND ONIONS

3 med. zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch
1 lg. onion, sliced thin
3 lg. tomatoes, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. basil
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
5 tbsp. butter
Directions: Combine cheese, basil and salt. In buttered 2-quart casserole, alternate layers beginning with zucchini, onion, tomato, cheese mixture. Continue until all ingredients are used, always ending with cheese. Dot with butter. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Roasted Vegetables and Pesto Sauce

Whole Wheat Linguine with Roasted Vegetables and Pesto SauceServes 4Pesto:1 cup fresh basil leaves2 generous tbs. toasted pine nuts2 generous tbs. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano2-3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil2 medium cloves garlicsalt and pepper to tastepasta cooking water, to thin to desired consistencyCombine the basil, pine nuts, cheese, olive oil and garlic in a blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper. Add small amounts of the pasta cooking water and continue to blend until you have a thick, but pourable consistency.Pasta:10-12 roma tomatoes, halved and coredolive oilSalt and ground black pepper1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks8 oz. Portobello mushroom caps, cut into chunks4 small zucchini, cut into chunks1 large red onion, layers separated and cut into 1-inch chunks¾ lb. whole wheat linguine (I like Whole Foods’ 365 brand)Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the tomato halves cut side up on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Drizzle some olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 3 hours or until tomatoes are very soft and at least half their original volume. If you have less time, increase the temperature. If you have more, let them cook until they are as sweet and chewy as you want. It will be good either way, but I have the feeling that slow roasting provides the sweetest result. Remove from the oven, set aside until cool and cut in half lengthwise.Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Toss the other vegetables with a little oil, season with salt and pepper and spread them out on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Roast until browned and tender, tossing once during cooking. Keep in mind that the vegetables will finish cooking at different times, and remove them from the oven accordingly.Meanwhile, make the pesto and cook the pasta. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water, just before draining. Add a little at a time to the pesto until it has a thick, but pourable consistency.Drain the pasta and return it to the pasta pot. Add the roasted vegetables and toss gently. Add the pesto and toss to coat. At this point, you may want to add a bit of pasta water to moisten the vegetable and loosen the sauce a bit more, but it’s your call. Take it slow and stop when things look good to you.