Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 3/4 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
• 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 10 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
• 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
• 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Italian Chicken Soup Submitted by CLK

Italian Chicken Soup
1 whole chicken
2 stalks celery
2 carrots
1 onion, quartered
1 tomato
a nice chunk of fresh parmesan cheese

Cook all ingredients for 2 hours, shred chicken, puree veggies and cheese and add everything back to pot. Cook farfalina (tiny bows) separately, IN SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER (enough to cook pasta), when pasta soaks up most of the water, add it all to soup. Add salt and pepper to taste, serve with grated parmesan and fresh parsley on top.

Chicken Francese - One of my Favorite Italian Dishes

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients

* 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
* All-purpose flour, for dredging
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 4 large eggs
* 3 tablespoons water
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 lemon, with rind, cut in thin rounds
* 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 lemon, juiced
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.

Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden, turning once. Remove the chicken cutlets to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine, broth, and lemon juice, simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Roll the butter in some flour and add it to the skillet, this will thicken the sauce. Stir to incorporate and dissolve the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken to the pan; place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Bobby Flay's Grilled Red Potatoes w/Bacon & Bleu Cheese Vinagrette

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay









Ingredients
* 4 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed, cooked until almost tender, drained, and halved
* 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
* Salt and freshly ground black
* 3/4 pound hickory smoked bacon
* 1 large red onion, finely sliced
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
* 1 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese
Directions
Preheat grill. Toss potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill cut side down for 3 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling 2 to 3 minutes. Place in a large bowl.

Place medium skillet on the side burner or the grill and heat until almost smoking. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool and crumble.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, and sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved, and the onion is caramelized Pour the onion mixture over the potatoes, add the crumbled bacon and parsley and toss to combine, season with salt and lots of black pepper. Spoon the salad onto a large platter and sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese.

Excellent Marinade for Chicken, Pork, Beef and Fish

One small bottle of light soy sauce (lower sodium)
1 teaspoon of finely chopped ginger too

4 tablespoons of dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1/2 cup of orange juice

1 whole onion cut up to a dice

hand full of Cilantro roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic put thru a crusher or smashed up well

and ground pepper - no salt .. the soy is salty

This marinade is very good on pork ribs and country ribs, chicken beef and some fish.. it is a very flavorful and strong marinade do not over marinade. I have marinaded the pork about 5 hours or overnite. Chicken needs less time I would say no more then 3 hours. Fish I do not do more then one hour. This would also make a great mainade for shish ka bobs.

If you do not like cilantro then omit it. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do, I just used this the other day for a bbq and they all loved it. Experiment and have fun!

Fresh Dill Potato Salad Submitted by Docnana

Fresh Dill Potato Salad

7 C of red skin potatoes, cut up (skins on)
½ C Italian dressing
½ C sour cream
½ C mayonnaise
2 t. horseradish (I use slightly more horseradish)
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 T fresh dill (or 2 tsp if using dried dill weed)
Salt & pepper to taste

Cut the potatoes up and leave the skins on. Cook in boiling water until tender (I don’t let mine get too tender). Rinse and drain, put them in a bowl and coat with Italian dressing. Do this while they are still hot so they will absorb more of the flavor. Cover and marinate them in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Lift potatoes out of the dressing and put in another bowl. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Blend dressing and fold into the potatoes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chicken Saltimbocca Submitted by GiaMia

Chicken Saltimbocca
Preview: Chicken Saltimbocca

by Tony M in Rouxbe to watch the Video

Layered with prosciutto, sage, and melted cambozola, this tender chicken dish is finished in a sexy sauce.

Serves
2 to 3
Active Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins

Step 1: Preparing the Mise en Place
Preparing the Mise en Place

* 3 oz cambozola cheese
* 1 clove garlic
* 3 slices prosciutto
* 2 chicken breasts
* 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
* 3 large fresh sage leaves

To prepare the saltimbocca, slice the cheese into 6 pieces. Thinly slice the garlic, and cut each slice of prosciutto in half. Set aside.

Cut each chicken breast into 3 equal pieces and sprinkle with pepper. Tear each sage leaf in half and place on top, followed by the cheese and prosciutto. Cover with plastic wrap, and flatten to just under ½-inch.

Related Drill-downs

* What is Mise en Place?
* What is Émincé
* How to Remove Chicken Tendons

Step 2: Cooking the Chicken and Making the Sauce
Cooking the Chicken and Making the Sauce

* 1 tsp olive oil
* 4 tbsp white wine
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 2 tbsp cold Unsalted butter
* salt and pepper - to taste
* juice of half a lemon

To cook the saltimbocca, preheat a stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and once hot, add the chicken, prosciutto side down. Shake the pan periodically and once the chicken releases on its own, you’ll know it’s time to turn it. Don’t worry if the cheese oozes out of the sides during cooking. This will make the sauce even tastier. Check for doneness and place onto a plate. Loosely tent with foil.

Make sure the surface of the pan is shiny with the oil that remains, adding a bit more if needed. Add the wine, then garlic, and let simmer. Reduce this to about 2 tablespoons, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

The sauce should look a little syrupy and have a nice sheen to it, before you add the stock. Bring this to a boil and reduce again by half. Once it looks syrupy again, add the cold butter and gently swirl until everything is melted and combined. Add the lemon juice and taste the sauce for seasoning.

Reduce the heat to low and return the chicken to the pan, pouring in any accumulated juices. Coat both sides of the chicken in the sauce. Place onto a platter, pour the sauce over top, and serve.



NOTES:
This dish is perfect for a dinner party, as the first step can be done ahead of time. Place the chicken on a tray, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. This can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 day before cooking.

Cambozola cheese is a combination of creamy Camembert and blue Gorgonzola cheese. You can substitute with Blue Castello, Bleu de Bresse, (both are also creamy and mild). You could also substitute with Brie, Camembert or Gorgonzola dolce.

I took this from a site.. as it's a traditional recipe of Chicken Saltimbocca, I have my own twist on this recipe I will add as the next recipe. This site has a video you can watch by clicking at the top the link Video.. if you hadn't noticed it. This site has a lot to offer and a cooking school if your looking to learn new techniques and terms. Check it out!

Raspberry Mousse Submitted by LIN

This elegant looking Raspberry Mousse is easy to make.

Servings: Makes 12 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes


Ingredients
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen red raspberries in sugar, thawed and divided
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 (14-ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Red food coloring (optional)
1 (8-ounce) container frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
Instructions
In saucepan, combine 1 package undrained raspberries and cornstarch; cook and stir until thickened and clear. Chill.
In blender, combine remaining drained raspberries, EAGLE BRAND® and lemon juice; blend until smooth. Place in bowl; stir in a small amount of food coloring (optional). Fold in whipped topping.
Spoon half the mousse mixture into dessert dishes; top with equal portions of raspberry sauce then remaining mousse mixture. Chill. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Notes: Tip: Serve in festive stemmed dessert cups. Tie gold ribbon and a small bow at the base of the stem and cup to create added elegance for your holiday settings. Variations: Replace frozen raspberries with strawberries or blueberries.

Cookie Dough Truffles Submitted by LIN

Cookie Dough Truffles


The flavorful filling at the center of these yummy candies tastes like genuine chocolate chip cookie dough...without the worry of raw eggs. That's what makes them so appealing. Plus, they're easy to make.

SERVINGS: 33

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1-1/2 pounds semisweet candy coating, chopped
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip balls in coating, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. If desired, remelt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 5-1/2 dozen.

Blueberry Cherry Torte Submitted by LIN

Torte:

4 cups ground walnuts
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon


(Reserve 1/2 cup of the above for the topping)

1 can Blueberry pie filling
1 can Cherry pie filling

1 packet of dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
(dissolve yeast in WARM water)

4 egg YOLKS (save the whites)
1/2 cup MILNUT
(blend the yolks with the milnut)

Dough:

2 sticks margarine softenend
1 stick butter softened
4 cups flour
(blend together)

Then,
BLEND in yeast and egg yolk mixture into the above dough ingredients. Cut the dough into 3 parts.

Roll out first saved dough semi thin. Place on 11 x 16 sheet
Sprinkle nut mixture on top

Roll out second portion of dough. Put on top of nuts. On top of this dough, you will add the pie filling... the blueberry filling on one half and the cherry filling on the other half.

Roll out last portion of dough. Place on top of cherry and blueberry pie filling.

BAKE: @350 for 30 minutes ..while it's baking do this:

Make meringue:

Beat saved egg whites add 6 TBLSP sugar and 1/4 teasp cream of tartar.

Take torte out of the oven and spread meringue on top. THEN, sprinkle the reserved 1/2 of nuts on top of meringue.

PLACE BACK into oven for 10 - 15 more minutes until meringue is slightly browned. After is cools, I cut it into diamond shapes...not too large! ENJOY!!

Vanilla Wafer Cake Submitted by Bonnie (Moon)

vanilla wafer cake.

2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 12 oz box of vanilla wafers, crushed, to resemble flour
1/2 cup milk
1 7 oz. pkg of flaked coconut
1 cup pecans, chopped

Cream butter and sugar together, add eggs and mix well, add vanilla wafers and milk, alternately, add coconut and pecans, mix well. Bake at 325 for 1 and 1/2 hours. This is a very dense, moist cake, and is great for holidays.

Pineapple Casserole Submitted by Bonnie (Moon)

1 can chuck pineapple
8 slices of bread, cubed
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup of sugar
2 eggs
2 tbs flour

Mix all ingredients, including juice from pineapple in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 until top is golden brown.
Yep, it's that simple and it's delicious too!

Mixed Berry Cake Roll Submitted by LIN

LIN, thank you for sharing this recipe with us

Makes: 10 servings Bake: at 350 degree F for 14 minutes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients
Filling and Frosting:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup blackberries, halved
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup raspberries
1-1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
4 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degree F. Filling: In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in berries and 1 tablespoon water and heat over medium heat. Cook 9 to 10 minutes, until thickened, bubbly and most of the berries have popped. Break up remaining berries with a spoon. Remove from heat; cool.

2. Cake: Coat a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper. Spray paper. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer for 5 minutes, until very light yellow. Add granulated sugar in batches, beating until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract.

3. Fold flour mixture into egg mixture until no lumps remain. Pour into prepared pan, spreading level. Bake at 350 degree F for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.

4. Meanwhile, dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioners' sugar. When cake is done, turn out onto towel. Roll up towel and cake; cool completely.

5. Unroll cake; spread with filling. Roll up again, without the towel. Frosting: Transfer cake to a platter; spread with thawed whipped topping. Slice and serve