Cooking for 2: Several Italian Sausage Soups

Here are a few recipes that will be included in my upcoming book later this year.  If you don't like hot Italian Sausage, then substitute mild Italian Sausage. Hope you enjoy them!

Creamy Italian Sausage and Potato Soup

1/3 lb. hot Italian sausage

1 cup diced potatoes (I diced them small)

½ can or 7/8 cup of Swanson beef broth

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

½ cup fresh spinach, sliced in ½ inch widths

1 Tablespoon diced onion

¼ cup whipping cream

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top

Fry Italian sausage in a small frying pan until fully cooked through.  Drain and place in a 2 quart saucepan.  Put beef broth in sauce pan.  Dice potatoes and put them in the sauce pan.  Add Italian seasoning and diced onion.  Bring to a boil on a medium heat and then simmer for about 20 – 30 minutes until potatoes are done but still firm.  Add sliced spinach and stir.  Cook a couple of extra minutes, Add ¼ cup whipping cream and stir.  Serve in bowls with Parmesan cheese on top.

Mama’s Hot Lasagna Soup

1/3 pound hot Italian sausage

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

½ can or 7/8 cup Swanson beef broth

½ can Italian diced tomatoes

½ cup cooked rotini noodles

Grated mozzarella cheese for sprinkling on top

Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top

Small spoonful of Ricotta cheese

Fry Italian Sausage in a small frying pan until fully cooked through.  Drain and place into a 2 quart saucepan.  Add beef broth, diced tomatoes, onion and Italian seasoning.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25-30 minutes.  Pour soup into bowls.  Add a little bit of cooked pasta.  Don’t add the pasta until right before eating or it will absorb all the liquid.  Grate mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.  Add a dollop of Ricotta cheese.  Serve and enjoy!

Chunky Italian Wedding Soup

1/3 lb. Italian sausage

1 Tablespoon diced onion

½ can or 7/8 cup Swanson beef broth

½ cup fresh spinach, sliced into ½ inch widths

¼ to ½ cup cooked Orzo

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top

Cook Orzo according to directions.  Fry Italian sausage in a small frying pan until fully cooked through.  Drain and place into a 2 quart saucepan.  Add beef broth and onion.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25-30 minutes.  Add spinach and cook for 3 more minutes.  Place in bowls and add desired amount of cooked Orzo.  Don’t try to take a short cut by cooking the Orzo in the soup.  It will absorb the liquid and be more of a pasta side dish instead.  

Chunky Italian Soup

This recipe turned out a lot better than I had anticipated.  I had some extra Italian sausage and decided to make a soup since I made it in the wintertime.  This is a good recipe to get your family to eat veggies since the taste of the Italian sausage is so full of flavor and overpowers the other flavors in the soup. 

½ can or 7/8 cup beef broth

½ can Italian diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (I bought this in bulk)

1/3 to ½ pound ground hot Italian sausage

½ cup great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 ½ to 2 cups sliced and diced veggies from the following:  onion, celery, carrots, zucchini squash and yellow summer squash.  (I used ¼ stalk celery, ½ carrot, 2 Tablespoons onion, and 1 ½ cups squash)

½ to 1 cup cooked pasta

Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown Italian sausage in a small frying pan until cooked completely.  In a 2 quart sauce pan, pour in the beef broth, diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning.  Add the cooked Italian sausage.  Slice or dice the veggies of your choice from the list given and put them in the pan.  You can cut them very small or leave them a bit larger.  It doesn’t make a difference.  Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.  Add the cooked pasta right before you are about to serve.  I would just put a little in each bowl and not put it in the pan with all of the soup in case you have leftovers.  The pasta will absorb the liquid and make it too thick.  You can also put the soup in the bowls and let people serve the amount of pasta they want themselves.  Top it off with grated parmesan cheese.  

Cranberry Orange Scones

Cranberry Orange Scones

This is a bit of a different type of breakfast for 2 for Valentine's day if you are looking for ideas.  They tasted great.  

½ cup flour + 2 Tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon butter, to be grated into flour mixture

2 Tablespoons milk or half and half

1 ½ teaspoon orange zest

1 Tablespoons whisked egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries, chopped

Glaze:

1/3 to ½ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ to 2 teaspoons orange juice

Mix dry ingredients.  Grate butter into dry ingredients and mix.  Add wet ingredients.  Add cranberries.  Mix with hands briefly to distribute chopped cranberries throughout the dough.  Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Put dough onto parchment paper and shape into a 4-5 by 6-8 inch square.  Cut into 3 triangles.  Separate a bit, very carefully.  Bake at 375 until lightly brown, about 13-18 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven.  Let cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes.  Mix the glaze ingredients together so the glaze is not too thick, but not too thin as well.  Add orange juice a little at a time until desired consistency to drizzle over the scones.  If the scones are too hot, the glaze will melt and make a mess, so make sure they are cool to the touch so the icing will be firm enough.  These scones freeze well.

Cooking for 2: Torpitas and Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Valentine's Day is tomorrow.  In honor of my youngest daughter Amy, who loves bread, I am sharing this recipe that I made up.  

Torpita

I started out trying to find a recipe for Indian roti, and the recipes I found had different flours, different ways of making them, etc.  Some looked like tortillas and some looked like pita bread.  I finally decided to ditch the internet and make up my own recipe.  These turned out so well, and were like a pita and tortilla mixed together so I decided to call them torpitas.  If nothing else, the name sounds cool. 

1 cup unbleached white flour

¼ cup semolina flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup hot water

Oil for brushing

Mix flour, semolina flour, salt and baking powder together.  Add hot water.  Mix carefully and when it is cool enough to the touch then knead it until it is smooth.  Be careful not to try to knead it when it is too hot and burn your hands.  Roll dough out onto a lightly dusted surface to about an 8-10 inch round.  Brush with oil.  Roll up like you would cinnamon rolls or crepes.  Cut the snake into 4 pieces.  Lightly dust surface with flour and roll out each piece into a 5-6 inch round, thicker than you would a tortilla but not as thick as a pita.  Cook one at a time on medium heat in a hot ungreased iron skillet or nonstick frying pan like you would cook tortillas.  Brush the top of each lightly with a little bit of oil and turn over after about a minute.  Repeat this until lightly brown on both sides.  I turned each torpita over about 4 times total, brushing lightly with oil each time.  Enjoy with hummus, as a sandwich like flatbread, or like a taco.  

Don't buy a package of semolina flour.  Buy only what you need at a bulk food store.  I rarely use this flour, and it was nice to try for a change, but also nice not to have any left over when I was done.  

Happy Valentine's Day Amy!

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

When I was growing up, our friend’s mom would buy Mother’s cookies and I loved the iced oatmeal cookies.  I decided to try to make them myself so I could have them whenever I wanted them: warm, soft and fresh without any preservatives.  These have been a big hit with everyone who has tried them. There are three preschoolers that I wish I could make these for on Valentine's day.  Happy Valentine's Day to Mason, Amira and Scott!

½ cup flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons white sugar

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon whisked egg (crack egg, whisk together, measure 1 Tablespoon)

4 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup quick oats

Icing

½ cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

Mix butter, white sugar and brown sugar together.  Add vanilla and whisked egg and mix.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add to wet ingredients.  Add quick oats.  Roll into balls and place on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet or place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.  Place onto cooling rack and cool for a few minutes.  While they are cooling, mix the powdered sugar and milk together to make the icing.  You may need less milk, so add it a little at a time until you reach the consistency where you can drizzle the icing over the cookies.  You don’t want the icing too thick or too thin.  Don’t put icing on warm cookies or it will melt the icing.  Make sure your cookies are sufficiently cool, about 8 minutes after coming out of the oven should be fine.  If you prefer to just frost the cookies, make the icing a little thicker to do so.  I personally like the frosting drizzled so there is just a taste, but it is not overpowering.  I made about 9-10 cookies with this recipe. 

Cooking for 2: A Few Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

These are a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes I have cooked up in the kitchen in the past week.  Hope you enjoy them!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

½ cup flour

1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup buttermilk

 1 Tablespoon oil

1 Tablespoon whisked egg

1 Tablespoon pumpkin

Maple Butter Spread

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon cream cheese

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Soften butter.  Add cream cheese maple syrup and vanilla.  Mix well.  Set aside.  If there are small lumps, don’t worry.  It will melt on the hot pancakes later. 

Mix dry ingredients for pancake dough.  Mix in wet ingredients.  Using a ¼ cup, pour pancake dough onto a hot greased griddle.  Cook pancakes and put Maple butter spread on top.  Enjoy.  Makes about 4-5 pancakes. 

Note:  It makes a difference when you use real buttermilk instead of milk and vinegar. 

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

7 Tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

3 Tablespoons white sugar

1 Tablespoon whisked egg

2 Tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

¼ teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:

¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon cream cheese

Directions

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients.  It takes hardly any time to whip these up, and most of the ingredients are things you have in the kitchen anyway.  These are not your typical iced pumpkin cookies.  They are a little flatter and soft and moist, not cake like.  I was going to try and make some cake like cookies, but we loved these so much that I decided not to. 

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  I usually use one of our cereal bowls.  The dry ingredients are flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.  In another bowl, mix the softened butter with the brown sugar and white sugar.  Add the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix well.  It doesn’t take long at all since there isn’t much dough to mix!  I made these without a mixer, but just stirred everything by hand.  Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes until done.  Let them cool.  Mix frosting together and spread on cookies when they are cooled.  Makes 6 cookies. 

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

1 Tablespoon white sugar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup flour

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons butter, cold

Wet ingredients:

2 Tablespoon canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

½ teaspoon molasses

1 ½ Tablespoons half and half

1 Tablespoon whisked egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoon half and half

Directions

Mix dry ingredients (first section) in a bowl.  Grate butter into the dry ingredients.  You want it to stay in pieces.  Stir the butter in, but not too much.  You want to have the chunks.  In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until mixed.  The dough will be a bit sticky.  Turn dough onto floured surface and add about a tablespoon more flour and knead it in.  You want the dough soft but not too sticky.  Shape dough into a square.  Cut diagonally into two triangles or cut two diagonals like an X, and make four pieces.  Carefully place onto a greased pan or onto a piece of parchment paper.  Freeze for 10 minutes while the oven is heating up to 385 degrees.  Cook at 385 for about 15 minutes.  

Cooking for 2: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon whisked egg

¼ cup pumpkin

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoon oil

1/16 teaspoon salt

¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon Whole wheat flour

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon cloves

2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions

My family loved these.  I was surprised that I got the reaction I did when I made them.  Mix the dry ingredients together and then add the wet ingredients.  Put into 3 greased muffins cups or paper-lined muffin cups.  Bake at 350 for 22 minutes.  Makes 3 muffins.

Cooking for 2: Whole Wheat Cranberry Chocolate Oat Cookies

Whole Wheat Cranberry Chocolate Oat Cookies

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

1 ½ teaspoons white sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon whisked egg

1/8 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons + ½ teaspoon whole wheat flour

1/16 teaspoon salt

1 1/6 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon quick oats

1 Tablespoon dried Craisins

1 Tablespoon chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon chopped pecans

Directions

Mix butter with white and brown sugar.  Add whisked egg and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients. (flour, salt, soda)  Last, add quick oats, Craisins, chocolate chips and pecans and mix.  Divide into three cookies and roll each into a ball.  Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes.  I usually do mine for 11 minutes. 

Cooking for 2: Whole Wheat Rhubarb Streusel Muffins, Tortillas, Funnel Cakes

Whole Wheat Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Ingredients

Muffins:

Cooking for 2: Chocolate Crinkles

2 teaspoons cocoa  (the ones above are dark because I used dark cocoa)
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon whisked egg
1 Tablespoon butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar (to roll cookie dough in after it is mixed)

Cooking for 2: Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies & Tuna Potato Casserole

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Ingredients

5 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon flour

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

3 Tablespoons white sugar

1 Tablespoon whisked egg

¼ teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon imitation rum extract

½ to 1 teaspoon lemon zest (between ½ to 1 lemon)

¼ teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions

Mix butter and sugar.  Add whisked egg, vanilla, and imitation rum.  Mix flour in a separate bowl with baking soda and salt.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture.  Add lemon zest and poppy seeds.  Roll into 6 balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or greased.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes before removing from cookie sheet.  Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. 

Tuna Potato Casserole

Ingredients

1 5 oz. albacore tuna

1/3 cup peas, fresh or frozen

2 Tablespoons green pepper, chopped

2 Tablespoons onion, chopped

2 medium potatoes

Sauce:

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup evaporated milk

½ cup grated cheese

Salt

Pepper

Bread Crumb Topping:

1 slice of bread

1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon dill

½ teaspoon parsley

Directions

Grease a small baking pan., around 5x7 inches.  Peel potatoes, cube and boil in water until soft, but not mushy.  If you are using frozen peas, just stick them in with the potatoes.  I also added the chopped pepper and chopped onion with the potatoes as well.  It was the lazy way, but it worked just fine.  Drain and put in a mixing bowl.  Make white sauce by melting the butter.  Add the flour and stir.  Add 1 cup evaporated milk and stir with a whisk to avoid lumps.  Use a medium heat.  When sauce has begun to thicken, add ½ cup grated cheddar cheese.  Salt and pepper to your taste.  Mix sauce with potatoes, peas, onion and green pepper in the mixing bowl.  In a food processor, mix Parmesan cheese, bread, dill and parsley.  Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of casserole.  Bake at 350 until done, about 18-24 minutes or until lightly brown.  The dill in this recipe makes a HUGE difference, so if you don’t have it, buy a little in the bulk section of your store or borrow some from your neighbor if necessary!

Cooking for 2: Dark Chocolate Shortbread

Dark Chocolate Shortbread

Ingredients

5 Tablespoons flour

1 ½ teaspoons dark chocolate cocoa

Pinch of salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 Tablespoons sugar

Directions

Mix butter and sugar.  Add vanilla.  Mix flour, cocoa and salt in a different bowl.  Add to butter/sugar mixture.  Mix well.  Roll out into approximately a 6 inch square onto a piece of parchment paper or greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 for about 16 minutes.  Take out of oven and cut into desired shapes:  square, rectangles, etc.  Let cool for a couple of minutes before removing from cookie sheet.  Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.