Soup Lady, "Cooking from the Heart"

Sausage, Peppers and Onions - Signature Dish

My mom would make sausage, peppers and onions when I was growing up.  This recipe has an amazing blend of flavors and the aroma is out of this world.  A large part of cooking is the way it makes the house smell, tempting those in other rooms to anticipate the awaiting meal.  What I love about cooking and eating is it touches all the senses: taste, touch and smell.  Even hearing, nothing sounds better than the sizzle Italian sausages cooking in hot oil.

Note: My mom's recipe was very basic.  I found this recipe on the Food Network, which added wine and tomatoes.  These sounded like great additions so I decided to try it. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound of Italian sausage
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, sliced
• 1 - 2 red or sweet onions, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of Marsala wine

Directions:

Heat the oil and brown the sausage on all sides.  Remove from heat.

Add peppers, onions, salt and pepper to pan.  Cook until tender.  Add basil, oregano and garlic.  Cook 2 more minutes.  Add tomato paste, stir.  Add Marsala wine and can of tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer.  Cut to sausage into pieces.  Cook until sauce is thickened and sausage is cooked, about 20 minutes.

Note:  I served this on toasted sourdough bread and topped it with provolone cheese.

Update:  Jackie noticed that I did not include the onions in the ingredient list.  The ingerdient list is now updated.  Thanks Jackie!

Credit: Food Network

Meat Sauce - Signature Dish

 

Jamie only likes pasta if there is meat.  I have created a sauce that satisfies his urge for meat.  As the sauce cooks the meat flavors blend with the tomatoes.  The final results are fabulous. 

 

I urge you to play with this recipe.  I do.  This recipe has evolved over the years and will continue to do so.  Cooking is a process.  As you learn new techniques or new ingredients become available experiment.  Sauce is forgiving – you can hide a multitude of sins.

 

Ingredients for sauce:

 

·         2 Tbsp Olive Oil

·         1 ea Onion, Carrot, Celery stick finely chopped

·         2 clove(s) Finely Chopped Garlic

·         4 – 5 short ribs

·         4 – 5 Italian sausage

·         1 cup red wine

·         1 cup beef broth

·         3 large cans crushed tomatoes (I like S&W brand)

·         1 medium can of tomato paste

·         2 cans of petite diced tomatoes (I like S&W brand)

·         1 – 2 tablespoon oregano

·         1 – 2 tablespoon basil

·         1 - 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning

·         ¼ to ½ cups sugar

·         1 cup parmesan cheese

·         Salt (as needed)

·         Pepper (as needed)

 

Ingredients for meatballs:

• 2 slices white sandwich (make crumbs in food processor) 
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 medium onion, grated (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.    Heat oil in a large pan. Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic and cook gently about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients to cooking pot.

2.    Mix meatball ingredients together.  Shape into meatball size of your choice.

3.    In a separate pan spray bottom with Pam.  Brown each of the meats separately: meatballs, short ribs, and sausage. Deglaze pan with wine, let reduce and add meat and deglazed contents of pan to sauce.

4.    Simmer slowly about 5-6 hours.

5.  Take out short ribs.  Remove meat and fat from bones.  Add meat to sauce.

6.    Toss and serve over fresh, hot pasta.

 

*Variations:

1.  For a real meat lover do the following:  Add half and half ground pork and ground beef.  Pan cook.  Season the meat the same way you would your meatball.  Add cooked meat to the pot.

2.  Substitute fresh tomatoes or spices as opposed to dehydrated. 

3.  For a thinner sauce eliminate the paste.

4.  Use the sauce to make eggplant parmesan. 

 

Sausage Bread - Signature Dish

This is one of my mommy’s recipes.  Quick family story: growing up we were poor.  My mom and dad were working class people.  However, I did not know we were poor until I was an adult.  The reason…we always had nourishing meals.  My mom could make a feast out of nothing!  We always had a place to live.  I saw them go to work every day traveling great distances to provide for me and my sis.

 

The lessons I learned from my upbringing is to be happy with what you have.  Jamie and I are not the richest in terms of money, but we are rich in other ways.  We believe in God. We both love Disneyland. We give each other space to be who we are as individuals.  We know all the good, bad, and ugly about each other - and we like each other any way.  We are best friends. We have our health. We are content.  We are in love.  We have a strong family and friend network. We don’t live above our means.  We are planning for our future to the best of our ability.

 

Life is good…and so is sausage bread.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Italian sausage (the kind that looks like ground beef)
• Pre-made dough (I have used fresh pizza dough, Bridgeford frozen bread that has been defrosted, or Pillsbury canned bread dough.
• 1 package grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 can sliced black olives (optional)
• Pam cooking spray.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook sausage until done.
3. Roll dough into a large rectangle.
4. Spread cooked sausage over rolled dough.
5. Sprinkle cheese over cooked sausage.
6. Roll these puppies up.  Seal the bottom and sides. 
7. Spray bread pan with Pam.
8. Place rolled bread seam side down.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown on top.

 

 

Wedding Soup - Signature Dish

Wedding Soup is one of my signature dishes.  The first time I had Wedding Soup was at a restaurant in Riverside called Boompa’s.   I could not believe I had never had this before.  I found this recipe and it has been one of my favorites since. 

 

Ingredients:

 

½ pound ground beef

½ pound ground pork

1 large egg

½ cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon onion, chopped very small or dehydrated

Salt and pepper to taste

8 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon celery salt

2/3 cup of Pastina (tiny pasta, you can also use pasta stars)

1 bag of baby spinach

¼ cup shredded carrots

 

Directions:

 

Combine first 7 ingredients and form into tiny meatballs.

Bring chicken broth and celery salt, plus salt and pepper to a slow boil.  Add the meatballs, and cook for a few minutes, until done.  Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon.

 

Add the Pastina and cook until almost done, about 5 minutes.

 

Add the spinach and shredded carrots.  Cook for a minute or two.

 

Add the meatballs back to the soup pot, heat and serve.

 

I like this soup with a piece of garlic bread.  If you want a complete meal add a salad.

Dog Chicken - Signature Dish

When we first got our dog Harley he was so cute. He immediately bonded with his new daddy (Jamie) and slept on his chest the whole way home. However, as he grew we became aware of his more curious character traits. Fi rst, he has a major underbite so we call him "Fanglish". Second, he talks. Third, he is a picky, picky eater. In order to get him to eat I have to cook him chicken and steam him rice with peas and carrots and mix this with his very expensive Dr. Hills dog food. Once the food is mixed - MAYBE he will eat if you watch him. He loves to be around people.  This chicken is soooo delish Jamie and I share it with him.  There are so many uses for leftover chicken.

Ingredients:

Whole chicken(s)

Olive Oil

Secret Ingredient: Lindberg Snider Porterhouse and Roast Seasoning Mix (or your favorite seasoning mix)

Instructions:

Wash chicken and pull out guts and neck from the cavity.  Put chicken(s) in a roasting pan.  Cook at 350 until done.  I like my chicken cooked very well done and will cook between 3-4 hours depending on the size. You can baste the chicken as it cooks to keep it moist.  If the chicken starts getting to brown you can cover it with foil or put the lid on from your roasting pan.