Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque

Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 1/2 lb. grape tomatoes
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 1/2 c. chicken stock
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. black pepper
• 1/3 c. fresh basil, diced
• 1 c. half and half, cream or whole milk
• 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
• Additional salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add celery, red pepper and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes. Season with 1/2 t. salt. Cook for 5 minutes.

2. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until tomatoes start to pop. Press the tomatoes against the side of the pot until they crush, or use a potato masher. (The soup will still be very chunky at this point, so don’t worry if you don’t get all the tomatoes.)

3. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper and fresh basil. Cool soup for 10 minutes (or refrigerate at this point for up to 24 hours).

4. Process the soup in small batches in a food processor or blender until desired consistency. Pour back into pot and warm slowly.

5. Once soup is warmed, add cream or milk and grated Parmesan cheese. Continue warming until heated through, but don’t bring to a boil. Season to taste with any additional salt and pepper, if desired.

http://stolenmomentscooking.com/creamy-tomato-basil-bisque/

Although I can’t say first hand since we had no leftovers, I’m thinking this would make a wonderful soup to freeze. If I was going to freeze it, I’d do so after step 3. Then, I’d reheat it before processing and adding the cream. I can’t wait until next summer when we have our own garden. I’ll definitely be making lots of this bisque to fill my freezer so that we can enjoy the fresh taste of summer all year long!  

VALENTINE ROLL

Forget the stuffed teddy bears and flowers this year. The perfect gift and dinner for valentines day would be to make sushi! Surprise you better half with a home made sushi dinner at home with a Valentine Roll. What’s so special about the Valentine Roll is that it’s shaped into hearts with Tuna as the borders. You’ll have big red sushi hearts instead of the generic red foil wrapped chocolate. Your bf, gf, husband, wife, family, and or friends will enjoy looking at and eating this roll for valentines day. Be thoughtful this year. Since we’re in a recession, don’t blow your money on things that won’t be appreciated! Rather make something nice for one another or make it together and make it a fun learning experience. Girls.. tell your girlfriends you made a sushi valentines day dinner and they will be jealous. Fellas…when your girlfriend makes her girlfriends jealous..believe me when i say be in for a good surprise. Happy Valentines Day!

Sushi Video : How to make a Valentine Roll recipe

Sushi Tools:

• Rolling Mat
• Bowl
• Spoon

Sushi Ingredients:

• Sushi Rice
• 1/2 Sheet Nori
• 5 Nigiri Slices of Tuna (~ 3 x 1.25 in.)
• 2 crab stick
• 1/2 tsp of tobikko
• 1/2 cup of tempura flakes
• 1 tsp of mayo
• 2 slices of avcado
• Lettuce and carrot julienne for Garnish

Lets Start!:

First, spread the sushi rice onto the nori.  Cut each crab stick into 3 pieces and break them apart into the bowl.  Add the tobikko tempura falkes and mayo into the bowl and stir with the spoon until well mixed.  Place the mixture and the avocados onto the seaweed side of the rice paddy.  Roll it with the bamboo mat until the rice paddy is closed.  With the bamboo mat still on top of the roll, apply pressure to one side to form a tear drop shape.   Apply the 5 nigiri clies of tuna horizontally over the entire roll.  5 pieces should be enough to cover the roll.  Place the bamboo mat over and apply pressure until the tuna sticks to the rice.  Now cut into 10 pieces, starting by cuting inbetween every peice of tuna and cutting every piece of tuna in half.  That would be the best guildline to follow to have even cuts.  Now arrange and sticke very 2 pieces of sushi by the rice sides to for a heart shape.  Place the 10 pieces of 5 hearts on top a plate.  Place a small piece of lettuce half way under the hearts and place a small amount of carrot julienne on top of the lettuce.  Now you can begin your perfect valentines day dinner for  2/14/2010.

Enjoy!   http://www.sushivids.com/how-to-make-a-valentine-roll/

Diane's White Bread

Forget about anything I have ever said about bread. This bread is full of flavor and oh so moist. THIS one IS my favorite!!!! My sister Diane contributed this golden to me and... I am in love!


3 yeast
6 C milk (very warm)
3/4 C shortening
1 C sugar
3 Tbl salt
1 1/2 C water (very warm)
8-10 flour

 Keep in mind this recipe has been custom constructed for a BOSCH, if you do not have a Bosch and are using a Kitchenaid 1st of all bummer, secondly you will have to half this recipe.

Heat milk on stove top or microwave until very warm,  then gently add to mixer. Combine shortening, sugar, water, 4-5 cups of flour and then yeast. Knead in mixer (Bosch) until smooth (approx 2 min) then add 1 cup at a time flour and salt until dough is formed and is barely pulling away from sides of mixer. Knead an additional 8 minutes in mixer. When ready pour out into greased bowl and cover with damp cheese cloth until doubles in size. Remove from bowl onto well floured countertop and separate into 7-8 equal loaves depending on size. Brush with butter or egg whites and let rest until rises in bread pan and bake at 350 until well golden (40 min approx)... don't under bake and don't over bake.

If you are feeling insecure about bread making feel free to email me or read this.

http://www.jensyummyfun.com/search/label/Bread

Enjoy!  

Tomato Basil Bisque Soup

http://www.jensyummyfun.com/2009/10/tomato-basil-bisque-soup.html

A great friend of mine made this UNBELIEVABLE soup for our Super Saturday last weekend and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Thanks Dalana!

1/2 c. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. yellow onion, finely diced
1/4 c. leeks finely diced (white parts only)
1/4 c. carrots finely diced
1/4 c. celery finely diced
1/2 c. flour
2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
2 c. cream
3/4 teas. worcestershire sauce
1-(15 ounce) can Italian style crushed tomatoes
1 Tblsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tblsp. basil, coursely chopped
3/4 teasp. rice wine vinegar
3 Tblsp. basil, julienned

In a medium saucepan melt butter. Add garlic, onions, carrots, leeks, and celery then cook until tender. Add flour to make roux, cook the flour for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add broth, cream, and worcestershire sauce. Return to heat add tomatoes, and honey, let simmer for 20 minutes. Mix in salt and pepper, basil and rice wine vinegar, then continue to simmer for another 20 minutes.  You can blend soup with a immersion blender or put it in a food processor for a creamy soup or leave chunky.  Serve with julienned basil.  

Tomato Basil Bisque

  Description:

This is the most delicious tomato basil bisque recipe I've found! You'll have your guests raving all over it and begging for the recipe! Freezes very well, too.   

Ingredients

8

large tomatoes

2

small cans V8 (or 1 large can)

15+ fresh basil leaves

1

pint whipping cream

1/4

lb. butter

salt and pepper

Directions

1.

http://friendseat.com/Tomato-Basil-Bisque-Recipe

Boil all tomatoes for about 10 min. until you see the skin crack. Rinse them in cold water, then peel and core them. Put them back into the stockpot, add V8 and all of the basil leaves and bring to a boil. Turn down and let simmer for about 30 min. Put hand blender directly into stockpot and puree your tomato mixture. (If you don't have a hand blender, you can put increments of the mixture into a blender, but it takes a little more time and can be hot and messy.) Stir in all of the whipping cream and butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.   

Chocolate filled Raspberry Meringue Kisses

Let me just start by saying I ♥ MERINGUES! I first tried them last year when I saw how easy they were to make from a recipe over at The TomKat Studio. Well, you are all in for a treat because I found "easy to make" CHOCOLATE filled meringues! Darla over at Bakingdom made some super cute Meringue Kisses!

Raspberry Meringue Kisses

Makes 3 to 6 dozen (depending on the how big you make them)

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon raspberry extract (or another flavor, if preferred)

Food coloring, optional

1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats. Place chocolate chips about 1 1/2- to 2-inches apart on the sheet.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Place the bowl on top of a medium sauce pan filled with a couple of inches of barely simmering water and set over medium heat. Gently whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the standing mixer (if you’re not using a standing mixer, just remove the bowl from heat and use a hand mixer), and whisk the mixture on high until stiff peaks form. Stir in the extract and food coloring, if using.

Fit a pastry bag with a Wilton #30 star tip (or comparable), fill with the meringue, and pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets, centering each star on top of a chocolate chip. Refill bag as necessary.

Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

http://www.savethedate4cupcakes.com/2011/02/chocolate-filled-raspberry-meringue.html

*Recipe by Darla  

Fruit with jelly

Give a new shape to flavor jellies!

Slice limes, lemons and oranges in half, remove all the pulp and fill them with jelly following the preparation instructions. Cool and cut into wedges.

If you want to do even more special, just when they are at room temperature, put some chocolate chips to simulate the seeds. Delicious!

http://www.ohcookingrecipes.com/desserts-recipes-fruit-with-jelly.php

  

Healthy Jello with Fruit Recipe

Ingredients -

3 oz package apricot jello
3 oz package strawberry jello
3 oz package lemon jello
1 small can peach slices, drained
10 oz strawberries, hulled and halved
10 oz blueberries
3 cups boiling water
3 cups cold water

Preparation:

Combine the apricot jello with 1 cup of boiling water until it dissolves, then stir in 1 cup of cold water and the drained peaches.

Divide this mixture between 8 lowball glasses and leave it to set in the refrigerator.

Combine the strawberry jello with 1 cup of boiling water until it dissolves, then stir in 1 cup of cold water and the strawberries.

Pour this mixture over the set apricot jello and refrigerate.

Combine the lemon jello with the rest of the boiling water until it dissolves, then stir in the rest of the cold water and the blueberries.

Pour this mixture over the set strawberry jello and chill the jello fruit salad desserts until they are completely set.

(Serves 8)

Photo Description:

http://www.jellorecipes.net/Jello-Recipes/jello-salad-recipes/triple-layer-jello-fruit-salad.php

This is a very healthy jello fruit salad recipe and you can see from the photo how appealing it looks. Recipes like jello with fruit are so simple to make and you can combine any jello flavors with almost any fruit. Avoid fresh pineapple, papaya, kiwi, fig, and gingerroot, since these contain an enzyme, which stops jello from setting. These colorful jello desserts are light and refreshing and are ideal at any occasion. You can even serve them for breakfast with some yogurt on top, for a tasty and fruity treat.  

Mixed Berry Parfaits Recipe

   

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 box (3 oz) wild strawberry gelatin
• 1 cup each strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
• 2 cups prepared vanilla pudding

Recipe Preparation

1. Can be made through Step 4 up to 2 days ahead.
2. You'll need five 10-oz glass or plastic glasses.
3. Prepare gelatin in a 2-cup glass measure as box directs. Refrigerate, occasionally stirring gently (try not to create bubbles), 30 minutes or until consistency of egg whites.
4. Meanwhile, stem and hull 1/2 cup strawberries; cut in small pieces Combine with 1/2 cup each blueberries and raspberries. Divide fruit mixture among glasses.
5. Add gelatin and gently stir with a skewer to incorporate berries so some are suspended in the gelatin (don't overstir). Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.   http://www.womansday.com/Recipes/Mixed-Berry-Parfaits-Recipe.html

Watermelon Pops

 

what you need

1 cup sugar, divided

1 pkg.  (3 oz.) JELL-O Lime Flavor Gelatin

2 cups boiling water, divided

  Ice cubes

1 cup cold water, divided

1 pkg.  (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

3 Tbsp. miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 pkg.  (4 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

make it

1 MIX 1/3 cup sugar and lime gelatin mix in medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to 1/2 cup cold water to measure 3/4 cup. Add to lime gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. Refrigerate 25 min.

2 MEANWHILE, repeat Step 1 using strawberry gelatin mix and omitting the refrigeration step. Pour into 16 (3-oz.) paper cups. Freeze 20 min. Stir 1/2 tsp. chocolate chips into gelatin in each cup.

3 BEAT cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in COOL WHIP; spread over gelatin in cups.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/watermelon-pops-113172.aspx

4 POUR lime gelatin over cream cheese mixture. Insert wooden pop stick into gelatin in center of each cup. Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Remove pops from cups just before serving.