Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale

Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale

Ingredients 

1 lb ground Mild Italian Sausage

1 onion minced

6 cloves of garlic 

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes 

1 qt chicken stock

1 tsp salt

3 large kale leaves

10 oz of fresh or frozen tortellini 

1 cup heavy cream

Parmesan cheese (optional)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

In a large soup pot cook sausage, onions and garlic for about 5 minutes then drain excess fat.  Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Chop kale into 1/2 inch pieces and add it, the tortellini, and cream to the pot. Simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.

Dill Chicken Soup (done in 30 minutes)

 Dill Chicken Soup (from Taste of Home)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo pasta
• 1-1/2 cups coarsely shredded rotisserie chicken
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups frozen peas (about 6 ounces)
• 8 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 10 cups)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dill weed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Coarsely ground pepper, optional

  
  

  Directions

  • In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic; saute until carrots are tender, 4-5 minutes.
  • Stir in orzo, chicken and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in peas, spinach and dill; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until orzo is tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. If desired, top each serving with coarsely ground pepper.

Chicken Pie with Baking Powder Biscuits

 Chicken Pie

(a great use for leftover chicken)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Butter
4 Tbsp Flour
Salt and Pepper
1 cup hot water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup milk
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into cubes
1 cup cooked carrots
1 can green beans, drained
1-2 potatoes, cooked, peeled, and cubed
1 can refrigerator biscuits (or one recipe of the baking powder biscuits below)

Instructions:

Melt butter and stir in flour and salt and pepper to taste.  Dissolve bouillon cube in the hot water (or use 1 cup of chicken broth) and stir into the flour and butter mixture.  Add milk and stir constantly over medium heat until thickened.  Combine sauce with chicken and vegetables in a casserole dish and cover with biscuits.  (I usually make my own biscuit recipe and roll it out and lay it over the top and trim the edges)  Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for around 18 minutes until the biscuits are lightly browned and the sauce is bubbly.

You can prepare this recipe ahead of time without the biscuit topping and refrigerate it.  When ready to bake, take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature then add the biscuits and bake.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup shortening

about 3/4 cups milk

Instructions:

Sift flour and baking powder together. Cut shortening into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.  Make a well in the center and pour in about 2/3 cup of milk all at once.  Stir quickly with a fork.  If the mixture seems dry add a little more milk to form a dough just moist enough to leave the side of the bowl and form a ball.  Gently roll out the dough to 3/4 inches thick.  At this point you can lay it over the chicken pie or cut out biscuits.  If you cut out biscuits bake 12 to 15 minutes on an ungreased pan at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Grilled Chicken

 Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs Chicken or Turkey

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup 7-Up

1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

Combine soy sauce, oil, 7-Up and garlic powder in a sealable container or bag.  Marinate the chicken in the mixture for 4-6 hours (keep refrigerated).  Grill using your preferred method. 

Cinnamon Rolls (from Tammy Hulse)

 Cinnamon Rolls

From the kitchen of Tammy Hulse 

1 cup softened butter 

2 ½ cups warm water 

¾ cup sugar 

2 TB yeast 

2 ½ tsp salt 

4 eggs 

8 – 8 ½ cups flour 

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, margarine and eggs. Mix in flour,  blending well. Knead in mixer for 5 minutes. Put in a large bowl and place in fridge  overnight. Generously grease cookie sheet. On lightly floured surface, roll out ½ dough  to 20x12 inch rectangle. Spread with ¼ cup softened butter. In small bowl, combine ½  cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon; blend well. Sprinkle over dough. Starting with 20-inch  side, roll up jelly roll fashion; pinch edges firmly to seal seams. Cut into 1 inch slices.  Place cut side down in prepared pan. Cover, let rise in warm place until double. Bake  at 350 F for 20 minutes in warm place until double. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.  

Brown Sugar Glaze (for Cinnamon Rolls) 

1/3 cup butter 

¼ cup milk 

1 cup brown sugar 

3 cups powdered sugar 

5 oz canned milk 

Boil first 3 ingredients together for 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and canned milk.  Spread icing on cinnamon rolls while hot. Sprinkle top with crushed walnuts if desired.

Alternative method:

Mix up the roll dough on Christmas Eve morning.  Place dough in large bowl with a lid and put in the garage.  (The garage is usually cold enough this time of year to be an extension of my fridge :) 

On Christmas Eve, roll out the cinnamon rolls and put on baking trays.  Cover with plastic wrap and towels and put back in garage.  This will keep it cold enough overnight so they will not rise too much. 

When the children wake up on Christmas morning, bring the rolls in from the garage and allow to warm up and rise for a couple of hours.  They are ready to bake after we enjoy our Christmas gift opening in the morning.   While the rolls are baking, I make the brown sugar glaze and pour it over the hot cinnamon rolls just as they are coming out of the oven.  This is a family favorite!

Candy Cane Cookies (from Lisa Turner)

 Candy Cane Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup soft shortening

1 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flours

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Mix shortening and sugar, add egg, almond extract, vanilla, and salt, then add flour.  Cut dough in half and color half with red food coloring and refrigerate.  Cut into fourths and roll into logs.  Put logs side-by-side and cut into 1 1/2 inch sections.  Take each section and roll like a snake and braid together.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

 CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE PIE

(THIS IS SOOO GOOD AND EASY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU USE A PRE-MADE FROZEN PIE CRUST)

FROM MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM

INGREDIENTS

•  1 unbaked pie shell (to fit a 9.5-inch deep dish pie plate) - my favorite pie crust recipe here

•  2 large eggs

•  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

•  1/8 teaspoon salt

•  1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) all-purpose flour

•  1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) granulated sugar

•  1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) brown sugar

•  3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 12 tablespoons) butter, softened

•  1 to 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

•  1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Place the unbaked pie crust in the deep dish pie plate, trim and crimp the edges. Place in the freezer while the filling is made.

3. For the filling, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment or with a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs until foamy and lightened in color (pale yellow).

4. Add the vanilla, salt, flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Mix until well-combined.

5. Add the softened butter and mix until combined.

6. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using) with a spoon or spatula. The mixture will be fairly thick.

7. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pie crust.

8. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the top is golden in color evenly across the top and a knife inserted halfway between the edges and the center comes out clean. It's ok for the pie to still be slightly gooey in the center.

9. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge sauce, if you dare.

NOTES

Pie Plate: this pie may have a tendency to bubble over while baking if using a regular 9-inch pie plate. This is the 9.5-inch deep dish pie plate I have. If you only have a 9-inch pie plate, reduce the filling just slightly or place it on a sheet pan to catch any spillage.

Make Ahead: I forgot to mention this initially, but this pie is a great make-ahead option. Make it, bake it, and refrigerate it (probably up to two days). Warm it on low in the oven (maybe 250 degrees until warmed) or piece by piece in the microwave, or eat it chilled or at room temp.

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