In the spirit of "write about it all", I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes with you on Tuesdays. Some are my own concoctions, some are from cookbooks and sometimes they will be links back to other blog's tasty treats.
It's cold here. Really cold. And blustery. The "curl-up in front of the fireplace with a cup of coffee and a good book" kind of cold and blustery. (Or at least it would be if I owned a fireplace or drank coffee).
One of my favorite foods is home-made soup. It is such a comfort food for me. When the wind is howling outside and the snow is swirling, there is nothing better for lunch than a bowl of steaming hot homemade soup. When I cook soup, I make a huge batch and freeze it in meal-sized portions. This works great because it gives me something quick and easy to pull out of the freezer on days I don't get anything made in time. I am a HUGE fan of having meals in the freezer to grab at the last minutes.
One of my favorite soups is Tomato Orzo, mainly because I love this recipe. I got the recipe from our family cookbook and then adapted it to my liking. The end result.....delicious! Along with this soup, I like to serve Cheese Biscuits. They are tasty and just as good as the ones served at Red Lobster. I got this recipe from the "For the Breast of Friends and the Rest of Friends" cookbook. (A cookbook written by women from a small-town in Saskatchewan to raise funds for Breast Cancer research).
TOMATO ORZO SOUP
1/4 cup butter 2 1/4 cups tomato juice
1 onion, chopped 1 tsp salt
1 cup celery, chopped 1 tsp basil (do NOT use Sweet Basil...trust me, I have)
2 carrots, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 green pepper, chopped 1 quart canned tomatoes (796ml can)
7 1/2 cups Chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon parsley
1 cup orzo noodles
Saute butter, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and green pepper in soup until just wilted with the lid on, do not brown. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the noodles) and simmer until vegetables are cooked.
Add noodles. Simmer on very low heat for a few minutes until noodles are tender.
BEST CHEESE BISCUITS
2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter or shortening
1 cup milk 1 cup old cheddar cheese, grated (I use medium or mild)
1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1/2 cup butter (I just wing this and don't actually use this much)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste...I just add to the butter until it's to my liking)
In large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt and parsley flakes. Blend in butter or shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and cheese until just blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake in 450 *F oven for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and brush with the 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 teaspoon garlic powder mixture.
Yum, now you've got a new recipe to try tomorrow. What's your favorite cold weather lunch/supper?
