January 31: Papa al Pomodoro

1 can tomato soup
8 slices bread
4 slices American cheese
some margarine for spreading

Spread the slices of bread with margarine.

Place 4 slices, margarine side down, in the pan with a slice of cheese on each. Place the last 4 slices of bread on each margarine side up. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side.

Cook the tomato soup according to package directions.

Serve the sandwiches alongside the soup for dipping.

4 SERVINGS

Ok, so this is not really the recipe for Papa al Pomodoro. This is what we ate for dinner tonight (the girls had tomato soup, my husband and I had leftover salsa stoup-it's finally gone now). This is what RR says about Papa al Pomodoro:

"This thick soup is a ribollita (stale bread soup) made with tons of tomatoes. Torello (literally, "The Bull") from Florence makes his with tomatoes grown on his own land in Tuscany. At his restaurant, Il Latini, he taught me the manner - the only manner - in which one eats any type of ribollita: with chopped raw onions and a drizzle of EVOO on top. If you are not committed to this process or if you don't do raw onions, skip this recipe. You're not to eat it any other way. Torello will find out, and I'll be in for it!"

So since I have permission to skip it, I did. I made this recipe last year and here is what I wrote about it: "Too tomatoey for Mark, Too bready (soggy) for me." I didn't like it. Here is the recipe in case you like soggy bread soup:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock or broth
4 cups chopped or torn stale bread
2 15-ounce cans small white beans, such as Goya brand
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to pass at the table
10 fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)

Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of EVOO, the garlic and three fourths of the onions. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, then add the diced and crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the stock and raise the heat to make the soup bubble. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the bread and beans. Stir the soup as it simmers until it thickens to stew-like consistency. A wooden spoon should be able to stand upright in the pot.

Turn off the heat, adjust the seasonings and ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Top with grated cheese, an additional drizzle of EVOO, a spoonful of the reserved finely chopped raw onions, and torn basil. The basil, and only the basil, is optional.

4 SERVINGS

I liked the toppings, but that was about the only part of the soup I liked.

January 30: Paella Burgers and Spanish Fries with Pimiento Mayonnaise

1 sack (16 to 18 ounces) extra-crispy-style frozen fries
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken breast
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce
   Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 1/2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
   Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 pound chorizo, casings removed, cut into 4 3-inch pieces and butterflied
4 jumbo shrimp (8 count per pound), peeled, deveined, and butterflied
   Coarse salt
4 Portuguese rolls (slightly sweet rectangular crusty rolls), or other crusty bread or roll, split
1 small jar pimiento peppers
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Preheat the oven and prepare the fries according to the package directions.

Preheat a large griddle or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Place the chicken in a bowl. Chop the parsley and add it and the garlic to the bowl with the chicken. Next, add the chopped onions, paprika, hot sauce, lemon zest, and the grill seasoning.

Pour a healthy drizzle or EVOO around the outside of the bowl. Combine the mixture and form 4 patties. Place the patties on the griddle and cook for 5 minutes on each side.

Place the chorizo on the griddle alongside the burgers.

Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.

Squeeze about 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice over the shrimp, then season them with a little coarse salt and drizzle them with EVOO. Grill the butterflied shrimp alongside the burgers, 2 minutes on each side, weighing them with a small skillet and canned goods.

Remove the patties and shrimp and add to the chorizo, loosely tenting to keep warm. Drizzle the rolls with EVOO and place cut side down on grill. Weight the rolls down and press to toast and char them on both sides.

Place the pimiento peppers and mayo in a bowl, add some lemon juice, a dash of hot sauce, and a pinch of salt. Combine.

Mound some chopped lettuce on the roll bottoms, then top with chorizo, chicken patties, and shrimp. Slather the bun top with pimiento mayo and set in place. Serve extra mayo with the fries for dipping.

4 SERVINGS

Well, these burgers turned out well, but there were several changes I made to the recipe. The last time I made it I didn't  like it that much because the pimiento mayo was sickening. I guess because the original recipe calls for 1 cup of pimientos, 1 cup of mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, parsley, lemon zest, and salt. First of all, it made way to much and I had to throw away 1/2 of it. Also it was too hot and it ruined my burger. So this time, I cut back the ingredients and used lemon juice to lighten it and I used just a dash of hot sauce. The recipe also says to puree it, but I just stirred it with a spoon. It was pretty good this time.

Another thing I changed was the Spanish Fries. The recipe says, "Melt [3 tablespoons] butter together with [4 cloves] chopped garlic over low heat until the garlic sizzles in the butter. Remove the fries from the oven and place in a large bowl. Add [1/2 cup] chopped parsley to the bowl and pour the melted garlic butter over the fries, then season with salt and toss." I didn't think perfectly good oven fries need to be fattened up with butter, and it's another hassle that is probably better to be avoided.

Aside from the fries and the mayo, I didn't change much else except that she uses cooked chorizo, and I didn't buy that kind (I didn't know they sell it cooked). So I lengthened the cooking time of the chorizo. I didn't change the amount of meat for the burgers in the recipe, but I didn't have enough, so I used significantly less than 1 1/2 pounds. It was enough for us because of the meat in the shrimp and chorizo.

Just one more thing about this recipe, and a reason I'm altering the ones in this book: she calls for 4 teaspoons of paprika. In the recipe she says, "add the chopped onions, 2 teaspoons of the paprika," etc. Then I can't find where she uses the other two teaspoons. Either she forgot to mention it, or it's a typo. I don't know, but some of the recipes get confusing, so I just put what I think works best.

January 29: Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms, Pumpkin, and Hazelnuts

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
   Salt and freshly ground  black pepper
2 10-ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 14-ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cream
2 to 3 teapoons dried crushed sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
   A pinch of ground cinnamon
1 pound penne or cellantani pasta
   Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Wring out the spinach in a kitchen towel until dry.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and the mushrooms, garlic, and onions.

Cook until the mushrooms brown, then season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach, separating it with your fingertips as you add it to the pan.

Combine and heat the mixture for 2 minutes, then add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the chicken stock and heat for 1 minute.

Stir in the pumpkin and incorporate; it'll be thick.

Stir in the cream, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon and adjust the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

Add salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Drain the pasta and add it to the pumpkin mixture. Top with the cheese, chives, and the toasted hazelnuts.

6 SERVINGS

I cooked this today for lunch because we've been invited to someone's house for dinner. It's basically a vegetarian version of the Master recipe. Spinach is swapped for sausage, and hazelnuts are added for protein. I did halve the recipe again, and I made the same changes to this one as I did to the last one. It's pretty good, but if I had to choose, I'd choose the one with the sausage in it. I guess it's an either/or recipe.

PS I made this recipe on Saturday and typed it up, but the pictures wouldn't load, so I waited until Sunday to publish it, so I could upload my pictures.

January 28: Beef and Chicken Fajita Burgers with Seared Peppers and Onions

BEEF FAJITA BURGERS
1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
   Several drops of hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
   Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

CHICKEN FAJITA BURGERS
1 1/3 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
   Several drops of hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
   EVOO, for drizzling

SEARED PEPPERS AND ONIONS
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 red and/or green bell peppers, cored, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, smashed out of the skin and chopped
1 jalapeno or serrano chili, seeded and chopped
2 cups prepared tomatillo salsa or chipotle-tomato salsa

8 crusty rolls, split
   Refried beans

Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium-high heat.

For the beef fajita burgers: In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, Worcestershire, chili powder, cumin, thyme, hot sauce, and grill seasoning. Divide the mixture into 4 portions and make 4 patties, 1 inch thick. Drizzle with EVOO. Cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side for medium, or until desired doneness.

For the chicken fajita burgers: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, chipotle powder, cilantro, hot sauce, and grill seasoning. Divide the meat into 4 portions and form 4 big patties, 1 inch thick. Drizzle the patties with EVOO and cook for 6 minutes on each side, or until the burgers are firm and cooked through.

To make the peppers and onions, heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add EVOO and the bell peppers and onions. Stir-fry the veggies, tossing them with tongs, to sear them at the edges. Add the garlic and jalapenos.

Toss and turn the mixture for about 3 minutes, then add the salsa and toss for a minute longer. Place the burgers on each bun bottom and top with 1/8 of the pepper and onion mixture and bun top.

4 SERVINGS, 1 BEEF AND 1 CHICKEN PER PERSON

So, I guess you figured out we did not make the burgers in the recipe. My husband wanted comfort food, so I made him regular cheeseburgers and made him jalapenos and spicy refried beans, but I ate salad instead.

Don't pay attention to my pictures when making this recipe. Just make it as instructed. It's pretty good.

January 27: Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage and Wild Mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 14-ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cream
2 to 3 teaspoons dried crushed sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
   A pinch of ground cinnamon
1 pound penne or cellantani pasta
   Grated Parmesan Cheese to taste
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives (12 chives)
   Crusty bread

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and sausage. Brown the sausage and crumble it with a wooden spoon.

Move the sausage to one side of the pan and add the mushrooms, garlic, and onions to the other side of the pan. Cook until the mushrooms brown, then season with salt and pepper.

Combine the sausage and vegetables and deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the chicken stock and heat for 1 minute.

Stir in the pumpkin and incorporate; it'll be thick.

Stir in the cream, sage, nutmeg, and cinnamon and adjust the salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

Add salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Drain the pasta and add it to the pumpkin mixture. Top with the cheese and chives and serve with the crusty bread.

6 SERVINGS

I halved this recipe today since it is a master recipe, and a very similar one is coming up on Saturday.  I didn't want so much leftover pumpkin pasta. It's pretty good when it's fresh, but the leftovers tend to get pretty dry. I changed the amount of servings it makes from 4 to 6. We fed the 4 of us with 1/2 the recipe, and we have at least 1 serving left over. I will use the other half of the can of pumpkin for the next one. I made it pretty much the same as how it's supposed to be made. I used dried sage instead of fresh, dried nutmeg instead of freshly ground, and I added bread to the ingredient list. This is a great recipe to use up any leftover cans of pumpkin you have left from the holidays. I really like the way the sausage compliments the sweet pumpkin flavors and spices.

January 25: Florentine Meatballs

1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, defrosted

2 packages (2 to 2 2/3 pounds) ground turkey breast

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large egg

1 ¾ cups milk

¾ cup bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

   Coarse salt and coarse black pepper

   Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock or broth

1 10-ounce sack shredded Provolone cheese or blend of Italian cheeses

½ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg

   A generous handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

   Green salad

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wring the defrosted spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel.

Place the turkey in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the spinach, all but 3 tablespoons of the onions, all of the garlic, the egg, about ¼ cup of the milk, the bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Form into 12 large balls and drizzle with EVOO.

Arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

While the meatballs are in the oven, heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of EVOO and the butter. When the butter is melted, add the reserved 3 tablespoons of chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the remaining 1 ½ cups of milk and the cup of stock.

Bring to a boil, then stir in the shredded cheese. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; turn the heat to the lowest setting and stir until the cheese melts. Keep warm.

Place 2 meatballs on each dinner plate and top with sauce, then garnish with parsley. Serve with the green salad.

6 SERVINGS

This is really a delicious meal and a good way to cook ground turkey. I did change a few things. First of all, I changed the serving size to 2 instead of 3 meatballs. So, it would be 6 servings instead of 4. They're very big! Second, I changed Parmigiano-Reggiano to Parmesan. It's so much cheaper. Third, I added that you could use ground nutmeg instead of freshly grated. Fourth, I added the salad to the ingredient list, so I wouldn't forget about it. When she says to serve with a salad beforehand, I always tend to miss that part. My whole family really likes this meal.

January 24: Salsa Stoup and Double-Decker Baked Quesadillas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus some for brushing the tortillas
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped with greens
3 garlic cloves, chopped
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock or broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6 6- to 8-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack
   Sour cream, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and the jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then saute the veggies for 5 minutes.

Add all the tomatoes and stock and bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cilantro.

Paint one side of 2 tortillas with oil and place them, oiled side down, on a large cookie sheet. Mix the Cheddar with the scallions and divide between the tortillas evenly.

Top with another tortilla and top each of those with equal amounts of Pepper Jack cheese.



Set the last tortillas on top and brush the tops with oil. Bake the quesadillas for 10 minutes, then cool for 5 minutes to set.

Cut each into 6 wedges.

Serve each bowl of stoup with 3 wedges of quesadilla alongside and sour cream for topping either.

4 SERVINGS

The only thing I want to say about this is that the quesadillas are good and plenty, but the stoup is way too much for 4 servings. Maybe some people eat a quart of soup in one sitting, but I can't. We have so much left over! I guess I'll freeze it. It might even be good cold as a salsa for chips. I love dipping the quesadillas in it.

My husband always hates chunky vegetables. This is supposed to be a chunky vegetable soup, but I put all the vegetables (including the stewed tomatoes) into the food processor and chopped them finely, almost to a puree. He just gobbles it down, even though every single vegetable (except the hot peppers) I put in it he hates: bell peppers, onions, celery, garlic, and tomatoes. The only thing I left out for him was the cilantro. I put that as a garnish on my own soup.

January 26: Taco Chili-Mac

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped with greens

3 garlic cloves, chopped

   Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock or broth

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 pound macaroni, cooked al dente

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and the meat. Cook over medium-high heat, crumbling the meat with a wooden spoon.

Drain well. Season with the hot sauce, Worcestershire, cumin, chili, and salt and pepper. Add the jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then sauté the veggies for 5 minutes.

Add all the tomatoes and stock and bring to a bubble.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cilantro.

Stir in the macaroni. If desired, top with sour cream.

8 SERVINGS

This is the variation of Salsa Stoup and Double-Decker Baked Quesadillas. I made it today instead of on Wednesday like I would have because I thought this was the best meal for taking to the family who just had a baby. I signed up to do that today.

Rachael Ray lists this as 6 servings. It came to the absolute top of my pot when it was all done. It was overflowing when I transferred it to the casserole dish to take to the family, so I scooped out 1 serving. That makes me think you could easily get 9 servings out of this. She also says to serve it with double-decker baked quesadillas. Man that's a lot of food. I decided to modify the recipe to skip that part. The other way I modified it was to drain the ground beef after it's cooked. Mine had too much fat content I guess. And I only put in about a teaspoon of oil instead of 2 tablespoons like suggested.

I did eat the serving I scooped out with a dollop of sour cream. I thought it would be too hot because of the Tabasco AND the jalapenos, but it wasn't at all. But I did just put in a dash of hot sauce instead of 2 teaspoons, so that would probably make a difference.