Christmas Eve Soup

Christmas Eve Soup
Since there was a considerable amount of ham left over from Christmas brunch, Joan made this hardy soup.

2 c. potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 c. carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1/4 c. onion, chopped
2 c. water
1-1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 c. cooked ham, cubed
1/4 c. margarine
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
8-oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine vegetables, water, salt and pepper in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Stir in ham; set aside. In a separate saucepan, melt margarine; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted; add to vegetable mixture and heat through.

Serves 8.

Recipe can be found in Gooseberry Patch Co. 101 Christmas Recipes.

Standing Rib Roast ala Paula Deen

Standing Rib Roast
Terry emailed us this morning with a cooking question. Terry and Terrilynn have decided to have a standing rib roast for Christmas and are inviting Don & Kathy over to enjoy it. Terry's question was how did we use to cook our roast? Terry remembers mother telling him that we would take the stove up to around 500˚ to start it. Terry also wondered what seasonings we used.

It has been sometime since we have served a standing rib roast and we could not recall exactly how we did it. Not wanting to ruin Terry's good piece of meat we were reluctant to offer advice. Then we recalled that a couple of years ago Aunt Dorothea has also asked us for our cooking method for a standing rib roast. At that time we shared with her Paula Deen's Foolproof Standing Rib Roast. She shared it with Cindy and it turned out well.

So here it is:

Ingredients
1 (5-pound) standing rib roast
1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows

Directions:
1. Allow the roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
2. Rub roast with House Seasoning. Place roast on a rack in a roasting pan with the rib side down and the fatty side up. Roast for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave roast in oven; do not open oven door.
3. About 1 hour and 10 minutes minutes before serving time, turn oven to 375˚F and reheat the roast for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the roast from the oven and tent with foil. Allow the meat to rest for 25 to 30 minutes before craving.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Serves 8 to 10.

Recipe courtesy of Christmas with Paula Dean (p.120)

Mushroom Meatballs

Following the adage that you can never have enough meatballs, Joan made this appetizer for Michael & Emily's Christmas party.

INGREDIENTS:
1 10 3/4 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 oz. pkg. onion soup mix
1 onion, chopped
2-pound pkg. frozen meatballs, thawed

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together soup, soup mix, and onion in s slow cooker. Add meatballs and stir to coat. Cover and cook on high setting for 2 hours. Reduce heat to low setting; cook an additional 2 to 4 hours. Garnish as desired.

Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe can be found on page 87 of Gooseberry Patch Co. - 101 Easy Entertaining Recipes.

Ultimate Party Meatballs

In preparation for Michael & Emily's Christmas get-together, Joan prepared this party favorite.
 
INGREDIENTS:

1 14-ounce can Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 12-ounce bottle Heinz® Chili Sauce
1 2-pound bag frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail-size meatballs

DIRECTIONS:

Combine sauces in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.

Makes 30 appetizer servings.

Slow cooker Preparation: Place meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine sauces and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH.

Mr. Casaubon's Chicken Noodle Soup

With the thermometer reading 5 degrees, Joan chose to make soup heart-warming chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 14 1/2-ounce cans fat-free chicken broth
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken into smaller lengths

In a large pot, lightly brown the chicken on all sides in melted butter over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook an additional 2 minutes until tender. Add the broth, carrots, corn, and seasoning, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 3 hours. Add spaghetti (Joan did not have any spaghetti so she substituted linguine) and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe can be found on page 148 of The Book Lover's Cookbook.

Chicken Cacciatore

With the temperatures dipping Joan made this heart-warming dinner. The recipe is from a new cookbook, Gooseberry Patch 101 Christmas Recipes Cookbook (p. 57), that Heather had sent her. Joan used Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes that added even more flavor to this dish.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 T. oil
28-oz. jar Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes
1 green pepper, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
28-oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 t. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil. Drain; stir in remaining ingredients except cheese. reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Serve over pasta or rice, sprinkled with cheese.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Strawberry Orange Trifle

Wild Strawberry --- Auburn-Fleming Trail
This luscious English-inspired dessert is easy on the cook.
1 (4 3/4-ounce) pkg. vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
8 cups angel food cake cubes (about 13-oz. cake)
3 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur or orange juice concentrate
1 (21-oz.) can strawberry fruit pie filling
1 (11-oz.) can mandarin orange segments, drained

Prepare pudding as directed on package using 3 cups milk. Remove from heat; stir in orange peel. Cover surface of pudding with waxed paper or plastic wrap; cool 15 minutes.

Line bottom of 2 1/2 or 3-quart trifle bowl or glass bowl with 1/3 of the cake cubes; drizzle with1 tablespoon of the liqueur. Spoon 1/3 of pudding over top; spoon 1/3 of strawberry filling over pudding. Top with 1/3 of the orange segments. Repeat layers 2 more times. Cover; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Garnish as desired. Stored in refrigerator.

While wrapping Rose's shower gifts, Joan slipped this trifle recipe along with others into the present bag.

Other Trifle recipes:

Trifle

Trifle Trio

Trifle Tries!

Carrots Au Gratin

For this evening's dinner Joan prepared an old favorite, Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing. As always this savory pork combination delivered.

However, for tonight's meal, Joan brought out a surprise side, Carrots Au Gratin.


Joan discovered the recipe for this side in Gooseberry Patch Fall, Family & Friends on page 87.

Ingredients:
3 c. carrots, peeled and sliced
10-3/4 oz. can cream of celery soup
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 T. butter, melted

Place carrots in a saucepan. Cover with water and cook over medium heat until crisp-tender; drain. Combine carrots, soup and cheese in a one-quart casserole dish lightly sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray; set aside. Mix bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over carrot mixture. bake at 350 degrees for 20 or 25 minutes.

Serves 6.

Banana Bread Minis

Joan used some over-ripe bananas to make this recipe that she discovered in Kraft Foods Holiday '10 magazine. Pleasant surprise - the bread's texture was moist not dry due to the cake mix.

What you need:
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 0z.) Jello-O Banana Cream
Flavor Instant Pudding
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 cup mashed fully ripe bananas (about 3)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Make it:
Heat oven to 350˚ F.
Spray 5 foil mini loaf pans with cooking spray.
Beat first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer 2 min. or until well blended. Add bananas and nuts; mix just until blended. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake 40 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely.

Prep 10 min. Total 50 min.
Makes 20 servings or 5 loaves, 4 servings each.

Farmhouse Quiche

Using this recipe from a new cookbook, Gooseberry Patch Homestyle Family Favorites, that Heather had sent, Joan made this vegie-packed quiche for Sunday brunch.

9-inch pie crust
2T. olive oil
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. zucchini, diced
2 T. fresh basil, chopped
4 eggs, beaten
1 c. half-and-half
1 t. slat
1/2 t. pepper
8-oz. pkg. shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3 plum tomatoes. sliced

Pierce bottom and sides of pie crust with a fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; saute peppers, garlic, zucchini and basil until tender. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in vegetables and cheeses. Pour into pie crust and top with sliced tomatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6

Red Barn Chowder

Enjoy the spicy taste of this delicious, hearty chowder filled with sausage and vegetables.

Using this recipe from a new cookbook, Gooseberry Patch Homestyle Family Favorites, that Heather had sent, Joan made this tangy soup to greet the Fall weather. Joan substituted turkey sausage for Italian sausage. Plus the Rotel tomatoes must have had extra spicy chiles because the end product was zippy.

1 lb. ground hot Italian sausage crumbled
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 zucchini, quartered and sliced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
28-oz. can stewed tomatoes
10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes with chiles
6-oz. can tomato paste
1 c. water
2 t. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Combine sausage, onion, celery, peppers, zucchini and garlic in a large saucepan; saute until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil, salt and pepper; cook until heated through. Mix in garbanzo beans; heat through.

Serves 8 to 10

Parmesan-Artichoke Chicken

This recipe turns a favorite appetizer into
a quick and easy main dish.

Returning from geocaching along the Great Lake Seaway Trail Geotrail, Joan prepared this dish for dinner.

14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/8 t. garlic powder
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine artichokes, cheese, mayonnaise and garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Place chicken in a greased 11”x7” baking pan; spread artichoke mixture over top. Bake at 375˚ for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork.

Serves 4.

Joan served this dish with a fresh garden salad, brown rice, and green beans.

Minestrone Soup

Temperatures have been consistently in the 90s. So Joan decided to make this soup recipe with the fresh produce she had.

1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups reduce sodium beef broth
1 cup chopped poatoes
1 cup peeled and slice carrots
(May substitute 2 cups of any other desired vegetables, such as green beans,
broccoli, zucchini for potatoes or carrots - or just add these extras anyways)
1/2 cup dry pasta, any shape
1 can (15 ounces) beans of any kind, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large pot, add onion, celery, garlic and cook over medium heat until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, pepper, bay leaf, broth and vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and beans. Cook 10 minutes until pasta is done, remove bay leaf. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Make 8 servings.

Ziggy was right soup will cool you on a hot day. With had this soup with Chicken Parmesan pizza.


Next time, Joan plans to add another cup of beef broth to the recipe.

Peach Cobbler

Joan used fresh Pennsylvania peaches purchased at Sauder's to make this dessert.

3 pounds ripe fresh peaches
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg

1. Heat oven to 400˚F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole. Peel and slice fresh peaches; place in greased casserole. Stir in lemon juice.
2. In 1-quart saucepan, stir together brown sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add water, stirring until cornstarch is dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened - about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over peaches in casserole.
3. Set aside 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. To prepare topping, in medium-size bowl, stir together remaining granulated sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt. With wooden spoon, stir in butter and egg until a soft dough forms. Drop spoonfuls onto peach mixture (topping will spread as it bakes). Sprinkle with reserved 1 teaspoon granulated sugar.
4. Bake cobbler 40 to 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling bubbles. Cool slightly on wire rack. Sprinkle with additional granulated sugar, if desired. Serve Peach Cobbler warm or a room temperature.

After inviting Lori over to share, we enjoyed this cobbler with French Vanilla ice cream.

This recipe was developed by Chi Chi Woods, a peach-grower's wife in Atwater, GA, for Country Living magazine.

Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

Recipe appeared on the Minute Rice box.

Sent to 'Recipe Swap' (food@syracuse.com) for Shirley Farricy, of Syracuse, who requested the recipe.

4 cups milk
1 cup Original MINUTE© Rice or MINUTE© Premium Long Grain Rice
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1 egg, well beaten
1 package (4 serving size) JELL-O© Vanilla or Coconut Cream Flavor Pudding and Pie Filling
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine milk, rice, pudding mix, raisins and egg in saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture just comes to a boil. Cool 5 minutes, stirring twice. Pour into desert dishes or serving bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve warm.

Makes 10 servings.

Puffed Pancake

Taking advantage of the fresh seasonal fruit: peaches, red raspberries, and blueberries provided by Wegmans, Joan made this old favorite for Sunday brunch this morning. She also included fresh cantaloupe slices and link sausages.

Joan took this recipe from the Bed & Breakfast menu of the Shire Inn, Chelsea, Vermont. Built in 1832 by a successful Chelsea chair manufacturer, the inn's a great stop-off if you're traveling through Central Vermont and the Upper Connecticut River Valley.

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup butter or margarine

For garnish: confectioners' sugar

Toppings: fruit preserves or jam (thinned with water until sauce consistency),
fresh fruit, bottled pourable fruit

Directions:

Put a 1 3x9-inch baking pan or dish in oven. Heat oven to 425°F.
Process eggs, milk, juice, sugar, flour and salt in blender or food processor until well blended.
Add butter to hot pan and heat 1 to 2 minutes until butter sizzles (check often so it doesn't get brown). Holding hot pan with potholders, tip to coat bottom with butter. Immediately pour in batter. Bake about 20 minutes until puffed and brown. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with toppings.

• Makes 6 servings.
You can halve the recipe and make this in a 9 inch cast-iron skillet to serve 3 or 4.

Rigatoni, White Beans and Sausage

Rigatoni, White Beans and Sausage

Joan recently purchased Marlene Koch's cookbook, Eat What You Love. This evening she served this dish which had a fabulous favor.

Ingredients:
8 ounces rigatoni
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound turkey kielbasa sausage, sliced thin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14-ounce) can white cannellini beans, drained
1 (14-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, well drained
6 ounces (6 cups) baby spinach leaves
6 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot. Drain and set aside.
2. Pour chicken broth and garlic into the same pot. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the sausage, oregano, and olive oil. Stir well.
3. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and cooked past to the pot. Place the spinach on top of mixture. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Allow steam for about 1 minute, just until spinach has begun to wilt. Sir mixture.
4. Sere with a heaping tablespoon of Parmesan cheese on top and seasoned with black pepper to taste.

This recipe can be found on page 239 in Marlene Koch's cookbook, Eat What You Love.

Fresh-Picked Frittata

This dish is easy to personalize...just let everyone suggest a veggie and bake until the center is set!

1 c. redskin potatoes, diced
1/2 c. onion, diced
2 T. olive oil
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. broccoli flowerets
1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
1/3 c. water
1-1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. dried basil
1 T. Italian salad dressing mix

Combine potatoes, onion, and oil in a skillet over medium heat; sauté until golden. Add mushrooms, broccoli, pepper and water; cover and cook just until potatoes are tender. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates. Spoon vegetables into a lightly greased 9-1/2” round deep-dish baking pan; top with half the cheese. Whisk together remaining ingredients except cheese; pour evenly over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, or until a knife tip inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe can be found on page 109 of Get-Togethers with Gooseberry Patch Cookbook.

Lentil Soup

Health-conscious people are always telling how good lentils are for you.
This soup's great taste is an added bonus.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium-sized carrots, finely chopped
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) ready-to-serve chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 package (12 ounces) dried lentils, washed and drained

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.

NOTE: For a heartier soup, add about 1 cup of chopped smoked ham or leftover cooked beef, or even chopped cold cuts, along with the other ingredients.

Joan made this soup using leftover Easter ham. She also serve the soup with a dinner salad. The salad contained fresh garden salad mix along with cubed ham, hard-boiled eggs, fresh Romaine lettuce, quartered vine-ripened tomatoes, cucumber slices, sliced red bell peppers, black olives, and sliced Provolone cheese topped with sweet and sour dressing.

This recipe can be found on page 54 in Mr. Food's Italian Kitchen cookbook.

Festive Enchiladas

Festive EnchiladasZesty enchiladas filled with seasonal flavors

With the winter raging in full fury outside, Joan picked up her Christmas gift cookbook, Gooseberry Patch Christmas Kitchen and selected this brunch dish for dinner.

2 to 2-1/2 c. cooked turkey, shreded
15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
16-oz. whole berry cranberry sauce , divided
1-1/2 c. salsa, divided
1 c. shredded Colby-Jack cheese, divided
1/2 c. sour cram
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, snipped
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
8 8-inch flour tortillas
1 t. hot pepper sauce
Optional: green onions, sliced

In a large bowl, stir together turkey, beans, one cup cranberry sauce, 1/2 cup salsa, 3/4 cheese, sour cream, green onions and seasonings. Spoon 2/3 cup filling onto each tortilla; roll up tortillas. Place seam-side down in a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Stir together remaining cranberry sauce and salsa; add hot sauce and spoon over tortillas. Cover with aluminum foil; bake at 350 dregrees for 45 minutes. Uncover; top with remaining cheese and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted. Garnish with additional green onions, if desired.


Makes 8 servings.

Note: Can substitute leftover chicken for turkey.

Ham & Cheddar Hashbrown Bake

For our first Sunday brunch of the new year, Joan prepared this tasty, easy-to-make breakfast.

3 cc. frozen shredded hashbrowns, thawed
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 c. cooked ham, diced
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. green pepper, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

Press hashbrowns between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Press into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9" round baking pan; drizzle with butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Combine ham, cheese and green peppers; pour over the bked crust. In a small bowl, beat eags, milk, alt and pepper; pour over ham mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until center tests done. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 6 servings.

Ultimate Party Meatballs

Michael and Emily held their first dinner party of the the new year. Joan prepared this appetizer using the slow cooker preparation. It proved to be a hit before the main course - Emily's lasagna.

Ingredients:

1 14-ounce can Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 12-ounce bottle Heinz® chili sauce
1 2-pound bag frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail-size meatballs
Directions:

Combine sauces in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.

Makes 30 appetizer servings.

Slow cooker Preparation: Place meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine sauces and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH.