Recipes
My Go-To Soup
March 30, 2011 | 
Author For my inaugural FoodNuts post, I’ve decided to share one of my favorite soup recipes. I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand, it’s a one-pot wonder, and it comes together in a matter of minutes.
Rustic Italian Soup
Adapted for my tastes. You can find the original recipe here.
8 oz. turkey sausage (spicy or mild) casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2-1/4 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if using spicy sausage)
salt and pepper to taste
- Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.
- Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
- Add the broth, wine (make sure you use a wine that you’d actually drink), tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and garlic powder. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spinach, oregano, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.
This recipe makes 2 quarts, which is about 6 generous portions.
I just happened to have about 3 tablespoons of heavy cream that I threw into the pot at the last minute just to get it out of my refrigerator, which explains the creamy color of the soup (If you’re cutting calories, feel free to omit). To finish it off, I top it with some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add a crusty roll and a side salad, and you’ve got dinner!
Here’s my ten cents, my two cents is free. For more recipes, product reviews and restaurant tips (especially in and around Memphis, TN) Please visit my food blog, Tiffany Tastes.
If you want to contact me, drop me a line at tiffany(at)tiffanytastes(dot)com
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp for Springtime
A sure sign that Spring has finally come is the first sighting of rhubarb in stores or at farmers’ markets. Its gorgeous red is immediately attractive, and is so seductive that there is no way to resist buying it!
I’ve made rhubarb pies, quick breads, dessert bars, and all sorts of other variants, including a savory chicken dish once; but my favorite way to use those beautiful stalks is to make a simple crisp. It’s not particularly photogenic, I admit! But it’s easy to make and absolutely sublime with hints of sweetness, tartness, and spice all rolled into one luscious dessert … 
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
1-1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 quart strawberries, chopped
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup quick-cook oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9″ pie pan.
Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, orange juice and sugar; place into the pie pan.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats and cinnamon; pour the butter over the mixture and combine well. Spread the oat mixture over the fruit.
Bake for 35 minutes, until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Let cool a bit, and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream … or both!
“floo·zie \ˈflü-zē\: a usually young woman of loose morals.” Thus a Food Floozie is not a woman who can be seduced by virtually any man, but rather a woman who can be seduced by virtually any food (other than sushi).
For more blathering about recipes, restaurants, beverages, ingredients, and anything else even tangentially related to food, please come visit me Monday through Friday at Food Floozie or check out my mostly-regular Tuesday posts on AnnArbor.com.
Posted in Blogging, Dessert, Recipes | 
Tags: Dessert, recipe, rhubarb, Spring, strawberry | 
2 Comments »
Johnny Cakes and Black-Eyed Peas
My husband IM’d me the other day at work. No commentary, just a link for Johnny Cakes (from Adventure Journal, no less). The first thing I did was scan the ingredients to see if the recipe was vegan. It was. I IM’d a reply “you make those and I’ll make black-eyed peas in the pressure cooker.” Later that night the omnivore and the vegan cooked together and made a delicious meal!
The Johnny Cakes
Dave started with this Johnny Cakes recipe. But the ratio of dry and wet didn’t seem right to him so he referred to this oh-so-NOT vegan Bobby Flay recipe and adjusted the amount of water (he did not use sugar) and added diced jalapeno. They came out beautifully
The Black-Eyed Peas
I rinsed and drained one cup of dry black-eyed peas and tossed them into the pressure cooker. I added three cups of water, three cloves of garlic, one tablespoon Sriracha and a bay leaf. I brought the peas to high pressure for 10 minutes, followed by a natural release of pressure. The Johnny Cakes were still on the griddle so after removing the lid from the pressure cooker I added salt to the black-eyed peas and allowed them to simmer for five minutes.
We were obnoxiously proud—there may have been a high-five, or two—of this rather impromptu plate of simple, vegan, fabulous good eats.
Originally posted on JL goes Vegan: Food & Fitness with a side of Kale. You can follow JL on Twitter and Facebook.
Potato Chip-Crusted Ice Cream Pie
I was able to celebrate two holidays on Monday — sometimes a girl gets to have way too much fun, eh???
First of all, it was the famous Pi Day: March 14, otherwise known as 3/14, otherwise known as 3.14 — pi, that endless (thus far — it’s been calculated to a trillion places and is still going strong!) number that most of us haven’t used since high school unless we happen to be math teachers.
It was also National Potato Chip Day, an occasion that simply couldn’t be overlooked.
Did I indulge in chips ‘n’ dip, followed by pie for dessert??? Heavens, no! That wouldn’t be very adventurous, now would it?
So I combined the two foods … yes, I did. You’ve had chocolate-covered pretzels, right? Same concept, just a variation on the theme.
I made a chocolate-drizzled ice cream pie. It has a crust made from — surprise, surprise! — crushed potato chips.
And you know what? It’s really, really good!!! It is! Jeremy said that the crust was his favorite part; it was even better than the ice cream, of all things!
The pie has that sweet-salty thing goin’ on, with each complementing the other and forming an entirely new taste experience. It’s cold, it’s creamy, it’s crunchy … all good things blended into one.
So let me tell you how to make this gorgeous specimen. It’s easy — you just have to start a day ahead and allow some time first for the ice cream to melt somewhat, and then for it to re-freeze.
But this is well worth the investment of waiting — remember, patience is a virtue even when impatience is trying to rule the day!
Chocolate Drizzled Potato Chip ‘n’ Ice Cream Pie
1/2 cup crushed lightly salted potato chips
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup Breyers Snickers ice cream, very soft
8 large, unbroken, lightly salted potato chips
1 pint Haagen-Dazs Dulce de Leche ice cream, very soft
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Combine the crushed potato chips and butter; press into the bottom of a 7″ foil pie pan. Freeze for 10 minutes to set the crust.
Spread the Snickers ice cream over the crust.
Carefully place the intact potato chips around the perimeter, like petals. Freeze for 10 minutes.
Spread the Dulce de Leche ice cream over the Snickers ice cream. Freeze for 45 minutes.
Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle the chocolate over the top of the pie. Freeze overnight, or the ice cream will not be fully set and it will ooze out over the chocolate drizzle … trust me, I know what I’m talking about!
Cut the pie, pulling the edge of the foil pan down if needed to remove slices. Makes 8 slices.
“floo·zie \ˈflü-zē\: a usually young woman of loose morals.” Thus a Food Floozie is not a woman who can be seduced by virtually any man, but rather a woman who can be seduced by virtually any food (other than sushi).
For more blathering about recipes, restaurants, beverages, ingredients, and anything else even tangentially related to food, please come visit me Monday through Friday at Food Floozie or check out my mostly-regular Tuesday posts on AnnArbor.com.
Comfort for Four Seasons
Apparantly there are FOUR SEASONS in a year … this past year has been SUMMER and WINTER (with 12+ ft of snow so far!) I have been buried in comfort food since mid-November and am looking forward to fresh spring food … to say goodbye to it I am sharing my last four comfort food recipes that I rely on!
On the other side of gourmet comfort food is the “oh so good but oh so unhealthy” food that is easy to make and darn good!
I live in a non-sports household but this dish is a dream!
Fall Colours Chili-Cheese Casserole –
So bad for you but SOOOO Good.
Casserole Ingredients
1 large 13-oz/ 365 gram package Doritos (save 2 cups for casserole topping)
2 tbsp. onion, grated
1 10-ounce can Chili with beans
10- to 15-ounce enchilada sauce or salsa
8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Topping Ingredients
2 cups Doritos
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups sour cream
Casserole Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crumble 6 cups Doritos with your hands into a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, the Chili, the enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and 1 and 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese to the crumbled Doritos. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Place mixture into an 8 1/2 x 11-inch ovenproof casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread the sour cream over the top of the casserole with a large spoon or rubber spatula. Top with remaining 2 cups Doritos. Then sprinkle with the 1/2-cup of the cheddar cheese. Bake for another five minutes and serve.
Another amazing dish that makes a winter night seem shorter … and warmer!
Winter-Comfort Chicken Fumicatta
Serve over Pasta (preferably penne or fettuccine which works with a heavy sauce like this), and if so, cover with a little of the liquid before piling on top) or lemon rice.
Pasta or rice for four (Cooked)
2 cups caramelized red onions
2 tsp. EVOO
4 chicken breast, thinly sliced and cut into pieces about 1 inch long
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced into thin slices
1 lb. portabello mushrooms, sliced into thin slices (top only, peel top so it absorbs flavours)
Zest of two large lemons
1 can evaporated skim milk (not the sweet kind)
2 + cups chicken stock
(Cornstarch dissolved in hot water if needed to thicken)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
4-c. baby spinach leaves, cleaned and de-stemmed
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large, shallow pan and brown the chicken: remove and set aside. Add a little more oil if needed and cook the mushrooms about 5 minutes. Add the liquids, zest and then the chicken, season to taste and place cover on. Let simmer at last one hour — if sauce to thin, add cornstarch dissolved in water and cook until more thick. Immediately before serving add in the spinach leaves. (This will keep them green and not wilt them too too much. Serve hot over rice or pasta, place caramelized onions on top and enjoy!
Lemon rice
2 1/2 c chicken stock
1 c converted rice
3 coves minced garlic
Zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp. dill
2 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Bring stock to boil in a saucepan, add rest of ingredients, cover and let simmer on low until all water has absorbed. (20 – 25 minutes.) Eat on own or with Chicken Fumicatta on top. YUUUMMMMM
Spring Has Sprung Squash and Caramelized Onion Lasagna
1/3 cup butter
4 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 cup milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
9 lasagna noodles
3 cup chopped broccoli or spinach leaves
Squash Filling
1 1/3-cup light ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cup squash, puree
1 egg
1 egg, yolk
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 pinch grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat; cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown. Set aside. Meanwhile, in heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat; stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles for 8 to 10 minutes or until almost tender. Reserving cooking liquid, remove noodles from pot; rinse in cold water. Arrange in single layer on damp tea towel. Return reserved cooking liquid to boil. Add broccoli; cook for about 2 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and refresh under cold water; drain again. Set aside. In food processor, pulse ricotta with squash purée until very smooth. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in egg, egg yolk, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg until well blended. Set aside. Set aside 1 cup of the cheese sauce. Arrange 3 noodles in single layer in greased 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish. Spread with half each of the squash filling, broccoli, onions and remaining cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and reserved cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes or until light golden and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Summer-Veggie Cannelloni and Trappist Oka Cheese Gratin
Cannelloni
4 large sheets of fresh lasagna, halved or 8 cannelloni shells
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 medium eggplant, in 1/2-inch cubes
2 c. washed and chopped spinach
1 Tbsp. water
2/3 c. Canadian Ricotta
2 basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Tomato Sauce
1-tsp. butter
1 medium onion, minced
28-oz can Italian tomatoes, diced
10 basil leaves
Salt and pepper
1/2 lb. (Canadian Oka, diced small)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a frying pan, melt butter. Add oil and shallots. Cook until golden. Add eggplant, spinach and water. Continue cooking for 2 minutes. Stir in Ricotta and basil. Salt and pepper to taste. Lay out cooked pasta sheets and evenly spread Ricotta mixture on them; roll into cylinders (or stuff cannelloni). Place in an ovenproof dish. To make tomato sauce: in a frying pan, melt butter. Add onion and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Add basil. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over cannelloni. Sprinkle Oka over top. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.