Monday, April 18, 2011

Creamy tomato and basil soup

Recipe taken from Pioneer Woman cookbook

Ingredients:
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
6 tablespoons butter (3/4 stick)
Two 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 46 ounce bottle/can tomato juice
3-6 tablespoons sugar
3 chicken bouillon cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped basil

Method:
1. Melt butter in large soup pot, saute onion.

2. Add tomatoes and stir. Add tomato juice, combine.

3. Add sugar (I used 4 tablespoons), chicken bouillon, black pepper. Stir to combine and heat until almost boiling.

4. Turn off heat and add cream, parsley, basil and more pepper to taste.

I served this soup with grilled cheese on sour dough and it was perfection.

Gnocchi with ricotta and tomato sauce

Adapted from Good Housekeeping: Vegetarian Meals cookbook

Ingredients:
1 package gnocchi (16 oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 medium tomatoes (1 1/2 lbs) chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 - 10 fresh basil leaves chopped
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method:
1. Cook gnocchi as directed on package.

2. In nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. Stir in tomatoes, salt, basil, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break up slightly - about 5 minutes.

4. Drain gnocchi; transfer to warm serving bowl. Stir in ricotta and permesan.

5. Pour tomato mixture on top; toss before serving.

Serve with a leafy green salad and bread sticks or garlic bread. Use an olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper dressing on the salad.

Lemon-ginger chicken

Recipe taken from Betty Crocker: Bisquick II cookbook.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup original bisquick mix
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Lemon sauce:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger

Method:
1. Flatten each chicken breast to about 1/4 inch thickness.

2. Mix Bisquick mix, bread crumbs, lemon zest and ginger.

3. Dip chicken into water and then coat with Bisquick mixture.

4. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken 8 to 10 minutes, turning once.

5. While chicken is cooking, make Lemon Sauce by combining all the sauce ingredient in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat; stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly.

Serve chicken over rice. Drizzle sauce over chicken and rice - you might want to double or even triple the sauce recipe.

You could even make an orange version of this and it would be divine!