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emerald soup
Emerald Soup

pizza
Puff Pastry Pizza with
Prosciutto

Menu Plan for the week of March 29, 2013:  Saturday's Recipes

Emerald Soup
Puff Pastry Pizza

Cooking time:  35 minutes for menu     Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

       The Emerald soup will be the first course for both this dinner and tomorrow's Lamb.  It increases easily if you need it to serve more.  It's equally good room temperature or cold.... Depends on the weather.  You could use a purchased pizza crust rather than the Puff Pastry if you prefer.  Tonight's vegetable is in the soup.

Emerald Soup                                                 Preparation and cooking time:   35 minutes
    I was given the recipe for this soup by the chef of Tidy Dols in London.  It's bright green color and fresh taste have been a favorite for years.  This makes enough to serve four.

1 onion
2 ribs celery
2 leeks
1 medium potato
1 tbs butter
10oz (300gr) fresh spinach
3 - 4 cups (24 - 32oz, 750 - 1000ml) chicken stock
more stock if needed to get desired consistency
2 tbs Greek yogurt, crème fraiche or sour cream for garnish

Roughly chop onion, celery and thinly slice leeks.  (To clean leeks see techniques).  Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions, celery, leeks and sauté until softened.  Roughly chop potato (peeling optional) and add to pan along with 3 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are done, about 15 minutes. 
Pick through spinach, removing any bad leaves and thick stems.   Add to soup when potatoes are done.  You will probably have what seems like a huge amount of spinach but it will all fit - just add handfuls of leaves, stir into soup; when they are wilted, add more.  When all of the spinach is in the pan and wilted, purée the soup, either in a blender or with an immersion blender.   It should be a lovely bright green - thus the name...  Add more chicken stock if desired.  Keep warm until ready to serve.  Serve with a dollop of yogurt in the center (you can draw a knife through to make patterns...) 

Puff Pastry Pizza Margherita with Prosciutto   Preparation, cooking time: 30 minutes
   Use regular 'pizza' mozzarella for this, as the fresh balls have too much moisture in them and make a soggy crust.   The puff pastry makes a light and flaky crust and the pizza is ready in no time!

1 puff pastry
2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup (4oz, 125gr) shredded or sliced mozzarella   for cooking or pizza
4 thin slices Prosciutto, (3.5oz, 100gr)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano

Lay the pastry crust out on a baking sheet.
Slice tomatoes as thinly as possible, 8 - 10 slices per tomato. Tear Prosciutto into small pieces. Arrange the tomato slices on the pastry.  Lay the Prosciutto on top.  Sprinkle with herbs, then cheese.  Bake in a preheated oven, 400F (200C) for 20 - 25 minutes, or until crust and top are golden brown.

Cooking Schedule: 35 minutes for menu
Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes
Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives,
baking sheet, medium saucepan with lid, blender

Turn oven on, 400F (200C)
Thaw pastry if needed
Chop onion, celery
Slice leeks
Sauté onion, celery, leeks
Chop potato
Add potato, stock to onion, cover, simmer
Lay out puff pastry on baking sheet

Slice tomatoes
Slice Prosciutto
Shred cheese if needed
Add spinach to soup, slowly
Arrange tomatoes on puff pastry
Add Prosciutto, herbs, cheese
Bake pizza
Purée soup, add stock if desired
Ladle half the soup into bowls, add dollop of yogurt
Serve, refrigerating the rest of the soup
Done?  Pizza done?
Remove, slice, serve

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