My family loves tomato soup, but having it out has kind of ruined the simple canned Campbell’s version for me.  My favorite is at a local chain called Fatz, which is a horrid name for a restaurant.  I digress.  The Tuscan Tomato soup is so amazing there.  Imagine my surprise when one of the waitresses let slip that they don’t really make it in the kitchen, but that it comes in a huge bag they warm up.  I figured if they could make that taste good, whatever I did in the kitchen would taste good, too.  And for once I was right.

This recipe started with the Essential New York Times Cookbook, but I made a couple of adjustments to keep myself from having to go to the store.  Here is what you’ll need:

TOMATO SOUP

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 4 basil leaves, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 35 ounces tomatoes
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Melt 8 TBSP butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add onion, thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste and cook stirring occasionally, until onion is wilted. Whiz up the canned tomatoes in a food processor. Add tomatoes and tomato soup and stir to blend. Bring to simmer and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Place the flour in a small bowl and add about 5 tablespoons of broth, stirring to blend. Stir this into the tomato mixture, add remaining broth and bring to simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
3. Add sugar and cream, simmering 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining butter, stir to melt. Serve.

Pork is not one of my favorite foods, but my family loves it.  I can’t explain why that is, it is such a lean meat, which is usually right up my alley.  My dad overdid us on pork roasts while I was growing up, we even make a pork roast for him at Thanksgiving because he will not eat turkey.

This recipe came together pretty quickly and was a pleaser.  My husband and I ate the pork kabobs in pita bread topped with the creamy sauce (his with lettuce, tomatoes and onions) but my son put the plain pork cubes on his plate and ate them with a toothpick.  Either way, delicious!

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 lbs boneless pork , cut into 1-inch cubes

CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
• pita bread

Directions:

1. In a resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine the first eight ingredients; add pork and toss to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients; cover and refrigerate for several hours. Drain pork and discard marinade; thread pork on skewers, leaving a small space between pieces.
3.  Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink, turning frequently. Serve in pita bread with sauce.

Are you someone who loves seafood, but doesn’t make it at home?  This recipe may just change all of that.  I hate making it at home because it is never as good to me as it is in a restaurant.  But that was until I tried this recipe.  The fish I used was frozen and thinly filleted so I didn’t expect much.  I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty and tender the fish was.  It isn’t diet food, but it is delicious.  I’ve put it with mashed potato puree on the bottom and topped it with roasted asparagus and mushrooms.  Heaven.

MaMa’s Supper Club Tilapia Parmesan

ingredients

• 2 lbs tilapia fillets (orange roughy, cod or red snapper can be substituted)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter , room temperature
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt (I like Old Bay seasoning here)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• black pepper
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce

Is this not the ultimate comfort dessert?

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups sifted flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375º.

Mix first six ingredients.

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Mix well.

Roll into balls and press down with a fork dipped in sugar or flour.

Bake for 10-12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet (I usually grease my cookie sheet anyway). Ovens vary so your baking time may be less. Just keep an eye on them.

Happy New Year!  Did you guy eat greens or black-eyed peas?  Me neither.  Instead, I had this:

Dirty Shrimp in Butter-Beer Sauce

• 2 lbs shrimp , shelled and deveined
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt , to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper , to taste
• 1/2 cup beer

• Saute garlic and herbs in butter until garlic is slightly browned.
• Add shrimp, stirring constantly, until shrimp are pink and done.
• Pour in beer, simmer 1 minute more, and serve!

Source: Edsgirlangie

I feel that cooking sometimes means stepping outside of your comfort zone.  Oddly enough, this recipe is me doing just that.  We had a delicious canellini bean spread at Luce in Charlotte and when I saw this recipe, it reminded me of that.  I have to tell you that while it doesn’t look like the most appetizing thing on Earth, it is rather delicious!  I’m going to tip-toe outside the comfort zone more often.

Bruschetta Cannellini (The Olive Garden Recipe)

• 0.5 (15 ounce) can white cannellini beans , drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 loaf Italian bread
• extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)
• 1 garlic clove , cut in half
• 1 small plum tomato , diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley (to garnish)

MIX drained beans, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar and sour cream in blender or food processor until smooth. Add olive oil slowly with blender or processor on. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate approximately one hour.

DRIZZLE both sides of bread with extra virgin olive oil. Grill bread on both sides.

RUB grilled bread with cut half of garlic to infuse with garlic flavor.

PLACE bowl of chilled cannellini mixture in center of large platter. Stagger grilled bread slices around bowl. Garnish with tomatoes and parsley.

I had to get on a wait list for this book at the library.  Unbelievable.  Three little boys, coming of age in a small town, discover that even though there is unspeakable horror that they can’t understand lurking underground in the graveyard, there is real terror in their everyday lives!  That sounded pretty good, didn’t it?  It’s code for most of their parents are terrible.

The little boy, Barry, is sitting down to dinner with his abusive father and apathetic mother when he decides, over his Pork chops, mashed potatoes and lima beans, he’s had enough of his father, and stands up to him.  It doesn’t end very well, but the dinner sounds pretty decent, right?

OK, these pork chops I present to you are pretty fancy, and in no way do they represent the kind that Barry’s mom must have put on the table, because the book makes it clear that she is slovenly.  But we are not, and so here you are:

Mashed Potatoes– the best you’ll put in your mouth!

1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes 4 Tbsp heavy cream or a half half mix of cream and milk 2 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp milk 1/2 teaspoon salt Salt and Pepper First we need to peel the potatoes, wash them and cut them into four pieces. We put them into a saucepan and cover them with cold water so all the potatoes are covered. Then we add salt (or maybe even better – before we cover them with water) and bring water to boil. When it boils we reduce the heat and we let the potatoes simmer for like 15-20 minutes. We can check if they are done by piercing one with a knife. If it goes in smoothly, they are done. Drain the potatoes and put them back into the saucepan and return them to really low heat- This will make the water evaporate and and mashed potatoes will taste better. Make sure you don’t burn them! In the mean time (or while you are waiting for potatoes to cook) you can warm the cream (and milk if you will be adding milk) and then add it to the potatoes together with butter. Mash the potatoes with wire masher, potato ricer or electric mixer until you get the desired smoothness and add some more salt and pepper if you want. Voila, this is the best simple mashed potatoes recipe.

Roasted Lima Beans from Food Network!

• 1 cup giant lima beans
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Place the beans and water in a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the beans are just soft, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat. Drain the beans and cool under running water. Drain thoroughly and spread on paper towels to dry.

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Toss beans with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt, lime juice and cayenne. Spread beans out on a baking sheet and place in oven. Roast until beans begin to brown slightly. Serve warm or room temperature.

I’ve never thought so before, but this Julie and Julia book is driving me nuts.  Julie annoys me because she takes stabs at Republicans every chance she gets and she thinks infidelity is okay.  I truly can’t stand her.  I’d kill her if she were my friend.

Anyway, I’m to the part where she’s about to give up the “Project” altogether, but before she does, she makes a few more dishes.  The first is a plain broiled chicken with sauce Diable and Chou-Fleur en Verdure(puree of cauliflower and watercress with cream, she explains).   For dessert she makes Charlotte Malakoff aux Fraises.  Who cooks like this?  Three complex recipes a night?  I can’t even fathom.

Charlotte Malakoff aux Fraises
From Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Serves 8 to 10 people

1 quart fresh strawberries
1/3 cup orange liqueur
2/3 cup water
24 single ladyfingers
1/2 lb. softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange liqueur
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/3 cups pulverized almonds
2 cups chilled whipping cream

Hull the strawberries. Wash them quickly if necessary, and set on a cake rack to drain thoroughly.
Line the bottom of a 2-quart cylindrical mode with a round of unbuttered waxed paper.

Pour orange liqueur and water into a soup plate. Dip in the ladyfingers, one by one, and drain on rack. Line sides of mold with ladyfingers. Reserve the remaining dipped ladyfingers.

Cream butte rand sugar together for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in orange liqueur and almond extract. Continue beating for several minutes until sugar is completely dissolved. Beat in the almonds.

Whip the cream until the beater, drawn across the top of the cream, leaves light traces. Fold the cream into the almond and butter mixture.

Turn a third of the almond cream into the lined mold. Arrange over it a layer of strawberries, heads down. Cover them with a layer of ladyfingers. Repeat with another layer of almond cream, strawberries, and ladyfingers. Fill the mold with the rest of the almond cream and a layer of ladyfingers if there are any left. Trim off ladyfingers around edge of mold, and press the trimmed off bits into the top of the cream. Cover mold with a round of buttered waxed paper , set a saucer over the paper, and place a 1 lb. weight on it. (I used cans of beans.)  Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. The butter must be chilled firm, so the dessert will not collapse when unmolded.

When ready to serve, remove the waxed paper. Run a knife around the inside of the mold, and reverse dessert on a chilled serving platter. Peel waxed paper from top, and refrigerate dessert until serving time. Decorate with strawberries an accompany with whipped cream or strawberry sauce.