RECIPES, REALLY!!!

Yes, finally I've decided just to post some "recipes", and do a "LITTLE" less talking! My goal is going to be to try and post at least two recipes a month and maybe a kitchen story in between. Enjoy my friends, enjoy nurturing your kitchen skills, and feeding your family and friends with heart!!! I want you to feel free to make my recipes 'yours'! BUT, before you do that you must make the original recipe exact, to the T, if not you will have no solid base to start from, and you will make changes that could make 'my' recipe seem unreliable. SO, always, take my recipes with my blessing, but do it exactly as written first then alter to make it your own...much better results, and kind of fair too hey! Never try a persons recipe without the EXACT ingredients available the first time round, don't rush it, do it right. Each change you make from that point on, only adds depth of flavor and appreciation for someone's hard work. Have fun!


This soup is one I have made for a long while. It is a combination of five of my most favorite tomato soups and has become a favorite above all for those who have had it in my home over the years. ENJOY!

Susan's Cream of Tomato Soup

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lg. yellow onion, chopped
1 entire head of garlic, peeled and minced (or grated on a coarse grater)
1 cup chicken stock
2, 28 oz. cans roasted, diced tomatoes, drained
1 lg. eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
Cracked Black Pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup grated Asiago Cheese

Heat 2 T. of your olive oil in a stock pot, add teh onion, garlic and saute' until tender and clear. Add chicken stock and tomatoes, simmer on low for 30 minutes.
Place the eggplant slices in the bottom of a sheet pan, coat with about 3 T. of your olive oil. Bake at 450* until slices are soft. In a blender or with an emursion blender, puree the slices with the rest of your olive oil and add to your tomato mixture. Continue simmering, salte and pepper to taste. Add the cream, slowly JUST before serving. Ladle into bowls and grate fresh Asiago cheese over the top, or you can make cheese laces.


Now this recipe is a favorite. With the exception of a few 'newer' ingredients since back in the day...this recipe is one I have made for over 30 years. In fact, my precious GrammaFlorence was ill with cancer, and this is the only dish she ever wanted me to make for her. Dear to my heart, and I hope an old classic with a new twist that will make your family memory bank a lot fuller.

MY Creamy Dreamy Tuna Mac Casserole

1 lb. whole wheat or reg. elbow macaroni, cooked just till lightly tender
1 can cream of mush (low sodium Healthy Req) soup or crm of chicken
1/2 cup sour cream or lite sour cream
1/2 cup hellmans mayo or lite
1, 8 oz. can WELL DRAINED mushroom pieces
1 cup frozen small peas (if you like peas, you can add 1/4 cup more to recipe)
1 foil pack of chunk light tuna
2 T. oil packed sundried tomatoes, chopped fine and leave some oil on them
1 T. garlic POWDER
1 T. onion POWDER
1 and 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar or colby cheese
Topping: 1/2 cup crushed potato chips, or taco chips, or bread crumbs, whatever you have that is lowest in salt!

Cook your macaroni, drain, put in casserole dish and add the frozen peas while macaroni is still hot, just set aside.
In small bowl, mix your soup, sour cream, mayo, garlic and onion powder and black pepper all together. In another very small bowl, mix your tuna and chopped sundried tomatoes together well and add it to the soup mixture, then HALF of your grated cheese, and your well drained mushrooms and stir well.
Pour this mixture over your macaroni, toss until mixed through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and whatever crunchy topping you chose.
Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 40 minutes.


And finally another favorite we make a lot of in the fall, a quiche. And this is a MANS quiche, nothing wimpy or girly about it. It's 'crustless' and MAJOR delicious. You can add some browned italian sausage or ham if you like, no more than half a cup to this recipe size, and serve it with my Creamy Tomato Soup or toss up great salad.

Our FAVORITE Crustless Spinach Quiche

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach ~ sauted in hot pan until dry (I use Trader Joes Organic)
7 lg. or extra lg. eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded Muenster cheese ( or I like to also use half Asiago and half Sharp Cheddar)
dash ONLY of salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Lightly grease a 9 or 10 inch deep dish pie pan.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over low-med. heat. Add spinach and cook until almost dry then add enough extra oil to saute onion.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. You will find a clear oily look on your knife tester to check doneness, should not be a milky egg wash...this is how you will know it is set and done.