Fresh Tomato and Cannellini Soup
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Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for "menu" instructions |
Tomato and White Bean Soup summer version Time: 30 minutes
2 garden ripe tomatoes
2 large shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 8 oz can white beans (cannellini)
1/4 cup very small pasta - elbow, shells, etc
1 tbs snipped fresh oregano
2 tbs snipped fresh basil
plus a few leaves for garnish
1 tbs snipped fresh rosemary
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil - the good stuff
Finely chop shallots and garlic. Sauté in medium saucepan in olive oil over medium heat until soft and transparent, 7 - 10 minutes. Peel tomatoes Roughly chop tomatoes. Add tomatoes to shallots and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse beans. Add chicken stock, beans, herbs and pasta, cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so pasta doesn't stick. Remove from heat and serve, drizzling a bit of Balsamic and olive oil over each serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Grilled Veal Chops with Wild Mushroom Sauce Time: 35 minutes
2 - 4 veal chops, depending on size (16 oz, 500gr total weight)
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp oregano
Wild Mushroom Sauce
Mix white wine, lemon juice and oregano. Pour over veal chops and marinate for 30 minutes.
Remove chops, reserving marinade for sauce. Cook chops over direct heat on barbecue grill for 10 - 12 minutes depending on how thick and how done you want them or broil 12 - 15 minutes. Take a peak to see how done they are - when correct remove from grill. Spoon some Creamy Polenta onto two plates. Place the chops partially on to the Polenta and spoon some Mushroom Sauce over the Polenta and part of the chop...make it pretty. Serve the rest of the sauce on the side.
Wild Mushroom Sauce Time: 30 minutes
4 - 6 oz wild mushrooms what ever kind you have plain old button would work, just not as tasty
1 tbs olive oil
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
1 tbs snipped fresh oregano
1 tbs
fresh thyme leaves
1 - 2 garden ripened tomatoes we want about 1 cup chopped - put any extra in the soup
1/2 cup beef stock
reserved marinade from veal chops
1 tbs cornstarch dissolved in
2 tbs white wine
3 tbs creme fraiche
Clean mushrooms (using brush - do NOT wash) and roughly chop. Peel tomato and roughly chop. Finely chop shallots and garlic. Snip herbs. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add shallots, garlic, herbs and mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Add tomato and sauté another 5 minutes. Add stock and reserved marinade, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in white wine. Stir into mushrooms to thicken slightly. You may not need all of it, depending on how much liquid evaporated during simmering. Heat, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in creme fraiche and serve.
Herbed Polenta Time: 15 minutes if using quick-cooking polenta
Check the package directions for quantity proportion - you may have to add more (or less) liquid to get a soft consistency. It can be adjusted at the end, before serving. This should be like mashed potatoes.
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup polenta
1/4 cup milk or cream or creme fraiche (or more stock)
1 tbs snipped fresh oregano
1 tbs snipped fresh chives
1 tbs snipped thyme
Heat stock in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When stock is simmering slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly (seriously, constantly), about 5 minutes or until done. Add milk (or stock) to thin and the fresh herbs. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Serve. You may need to add a bit more to thin after it sits.
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Cooking Schedule: 35 minutes |
Stir soup |
Cooking for Two? Or more?
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