Cooking Hiatus

Why? Because I'm moving and I'm trying to eat our pantry... which STINKS!!!
But I'm getting the itch. Contessa's Brisket is calling my name.

Heidi's Best Ever Tomato Soup

Best EVER tomato soup EVER! I wanted to make Ultimate Grilled Cheese sandwhiches with this but didn't have the time. Instead I just slapped some mayo and a slice of velveeta on some wheat bread and grilled it. It was FAB-U-LOUS dipped in this BEST EVER tomato soup.

3 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Large Onions, diced small
5 cups diced and seeded tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup basil pesto
salt & pepper to taste
Fresh Parmesan cheese

Cook onions in oil over med-low heat until translucent.
Add tomatoes and allow to warm to a simmer.
Add chicken stock.
Bring to a simmer and allow to cook 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and add whipping cream and pesto.
Blend to desired consistency in blender.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Top with fresh parmesan cheese and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Abbi Penn.

Keri's Texas Sheet Cake

This is the best Texas Sheet Cake EVER!!! Primo Deliciouso!

1 c. water
1 c. butter
1/4 c. cocoa
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Melt butter in saucepan. Add water and cocoa and bring to a boil.
In a bowl mix the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.
Add in the chocolate mixture.
Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.
Beat well and pour into a greased and floured sheet pan.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. (I baked mine for 20 minutes)

FROSTING
1 cube butter
6 T. milk
1/2 c. cocoa
4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

melt butter in a saucepan. Add milk and cocoa and bring to a boil.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla.
Mix and frost cake while hot.
Delicious!

Raspberry Sandwhich Cookies

DELICIOUS! Do not undercook. Vanilla beans cost $7 (they're cheaper in the ethnic food section). I did not think it was hard at all to sieve the raspberries. Enjoy! (courtesy of Martha)

Makes 3 dozen
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
• 6 ounces (1 cup) fresh raspberries
• 7 1/2 ounces best-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. Mix butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg, extract, and vanilla seeds; mix until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture.
3. Scoop batter using a 1-inch ice cream scoop; space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake cookies 4 minutes. Remove from oven; gently tap baking sheets on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, switching positions of sheets; bake until cookies are just set, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let cool on parchment on wire racks.
5. Puree raspberries and remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in a food processor. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing to extract juice; discard seeds. Set mixture aside.
6. Melt white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat; whisk in cream in a slow stream. Whisk in reserved raspberry mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
7. Spread 1 heaping teaspoon raspberry cream on the undersides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Dinner Spanakopitas by Barefoot Contessa

These are fabulous! The recipe is originally for spanakpita appetizers but Ina changed it to a dinner recipe. The filling is rich so I suggest making these as appetizers (meaning 1/2 as big so there's not so much filling to bite into). I made these and baked a few that day and then baked the rest the next day. They seemed to be twice as good the 2nd day. Maybe because all the flavors infused together overnight or something. Anyway, since then I can't stop thinking about them and think they are a spectacular appetizer. Layers and layers of crispy, buttery phyllo dough... yum! Tip: you must keep the phyllo dough damp or it will dry out FAST (cover it with a damp paper towel)!

RECIPE:

¼ cup good olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Plain dry breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons kosher salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups small-diced feta cheese (12 ounces)

3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

16 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted (about 8 ounces)

¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Shaved sea salt and ground pepper for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan, add the onions, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the scallions, and cook them for another 2 minutes until the scallions are wilted but still green. Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl.
3. When the onions and scallions are done, add them to the spinach. Mix in the beaten eggs, Parmesan, 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.
4. Place one sheet of phyllo dough flat on a work surface, placing the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with butter and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of breadcrumbs. Working quickly, slide another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first, brush it with butter and sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs. (Use just enough breadcrumbs so the layers of phyllo don't stick together.) Pile 4 layers total on top of each other this way, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with breadcrumbs. Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise. Place ⅓ cup spinach filling on the end and roll the phyllo up diagonally (see left). Then fold the phyllo over straight and then diagonally again, enclosing the filling. Continue rolling diagonally and straight until you reach the end of the phyllo. The filling should be totally enclosed. Continue assembling phyllo layers and rolling the filling until the filling is gone.
5. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked sea salt and ground pepper, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the phyllo is browned and crisp. Serve hot.

Soft, Perfect Sugar Cookies

This recipe courtesy of The Picky Palate.
They are delicious and I love her suggestion about using the rolled fondent. It was a lot of fun decorating these soft, perfect sugar cookies.

2 Cups sugar
1 Cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup sour cream
6 Cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

In an electric or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter.
Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined.
Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.
In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results.
Once chilled, roll and cut into desired shapes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes depending on how thick you cut your cookies. Remove and let cool. Frost and decorate as desired.

Fondant Frosting Directions:
Roll the fondant out into an even thinness. (I used parchment paper to roll the fondant, so it didn't stick)
Use the same cookie cutter you cut the cookie into to cut out your shape.
Brush a light layer of corn syrup on top of the cookie
Press the cut fondant over your cookie.
Press around the edges to seal.

Egg, Goat Cheese and Tomato Toasts

3 T. Olive Oil
4 large slices sourdough bread
1 clove garlic, halved lengthwise
4 oz. fresh goat cheese
4 tomatoes, sliced
Salt and Pepper
4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 250°.
In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat.
Add 2 bread slices and cook, turning once or twice, until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the bread to a baking sheet.
Repeat with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and the remaining 2 bread slices.
Rub the toast lightly with the garlic and spread the goat cheese on top.
Keep warm in the oven.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet.
Add the tomato slices, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Arrange the tomatoes on top of the toasts and return to the oven.
Wipe out the skillet.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet.
Crack the eggs into the pan, season lightly with salt and pepper, cover and cook over medium heat to desired doneness.
Place the toasts on 4 plates and top each with an egg.

These are fabulous! Everything smelled so good while making it... the bread, the tomatos, the garlic. Bryan loved it.