Onion and Pasta Soup

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Peg

End of Summer Bummer? I don’t think so! Pep up sweet people. As we are officially in the final week of Regular Season Baseball, I give you one of my favorite soups, yummy in baseball weather, and on into the fall and winter. Then bring it out again for Spring Training next year! It’s just that and a bit more. To honor Big Papi and his retirement from the Red Sox this year (more on that coming soon!), Liam and I made this with pasta in the shape of a baseball glove. H.E.L.L.O. lunch or dinner for all Four Seasons. Grand Slam!

Look at that sneaky pea that jumped out of the bowl and on to the plate!

Here’s what you need!

1/2 stick butter
1 Tbs olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 large leek, white part only, thinly sliced
2 cups frozen peas
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
1 (or more) cups small pasta
1 t kosher salt
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
8 torn basil leaves
Lemon Sour Cream for garnish, optional
Fontina Toast for garnish, optional

And here’s how you do it:

In 4 quart Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium low heat until butter is melted.
Add sweet onion and cook 15 minutes until translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add leeks.
Cook, covered 10 minutes.
Stir in peas, chicken broth, water, pasta, and salt.
Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 5 minutes.
Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil.
Serve with Lemon Sour Cream and Fontina Toast.

Lemon Sour Cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs lemon juice
Season with salt and pepper.
Mix all together in small bowl.

Fontina Toast:
Sour dough bread, sliced
6 slices Fontina cheese
Arrange bread slices on baking sheet.
Top with cheese.
Broil 4 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Liam sorted the pasta, as we wanted to use only the natural color since there would already be green in the soup with the peas and basil. Sweet little sous chef!

Pumpkin Bread

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Peg

©PEGhardee

Here’s your destination for holiday inspiration! SO happy to have a full house for the week of Thanksgiving, that I’m doing things now that can successfully be completed in advance. Admittedly the kitchen is my sanctuary most of the time, but I want to get out there and play with my gang..driveway hockey, big wheels, Heads Up, Hardee Pardee, and who knows what else. This is a fab breakfast bread. Bonus…it freezes fabulously (I tested that). Now just sit back and wait for the oohs and aahs. Note: Recipe doubles beautifully. And, I made a pan of mini loaves as well (see pic below) reducing baking time to 25 minutes. Can’t wait for the smiles!

2 cups all purpose flour, divided
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
1 T baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs

©PEGhardee

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine 1 cup flour and all other ingredients in mixing bowl.
Beat with electric mixer at low speed until blended.
Increase speed to high for 2 minutes.
Gradually add remaining flour while on low speed until well blended.
Pour batter into greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until knife inserted comes out clean.

Slice and savor!

Jalapeño Cornbread

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Peg

Get back in the real world! Try this weekend warmer and you are sure to please yourself and anyone else fortunate enough to share in the goodness. Mmmm mmmm Good!1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 large eggs
3 Tbs nonfat sour cream
8 3/4 oz can cream style corn
12 slices of jalapeno peppers, drained and chopped
1 1/2 t vegetable oil
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.
Heat an 8” empty oven proof skillet in oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, corn, jalapeno peppers and oil.
Add to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened.

Remove skillet from oven, and coat with cooking spray.
Pour batter into hot skillet.
Return to oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool 30 minutes.
Invert on to your hand or a plate.
Place right side up on serving plate.
Cut into wedges.

Crispy Bread

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Peg

A couple of weeks back as I was whizzing through FB posts I stumbled across this crisp bread recipe. It just looked too easy to be true. Guess what? It’s not!

3 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 t salt
1/2 t Rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 cups water

Not exactly a ball, but it worked for me!

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and yeast.
Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 – 18 hours.
Overnight works terrifically.
Preheat oven to 450°.
Place an empty cast iron pot, lid on, in the oven and heat pot for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.
Cover with dish towel and let dough rest while pot is heating.
Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.
Cover and return to oven.
Bake 30 minutes.
Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then SLICE IN!

Perfect with a crisp salad on these steamy summer evenings. And don’t forget to add another crisp element…a cool glass of Skinny Girl California White, at a mere 100 calories per glass. Guess that depends on your pour style! Cheers!

Mozzarella Biscuits

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Peg

Take me back to lovely 12,000 acre Primland where I took up residence last week on a house-party with fun, adventuresome friends…more on that coming soon. These biscuits are simple, quick, and just perfect when you find yourself in charge of breakfast in the mountain country of Virginia! Just add local fresh berries and coffee, and that’s my idea of breakfast away from home. This is straight out of Lee Bailey’s Soup Meals, published in 1989. Bailey was a published author (18 books!), food and entertaining guru long before Ms. Stewart!

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
8 Tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450º.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda.
Cut in butter with 2 knives, crisscrossing and turning bowl.
Add 1 cup of the buttermilk and mix.
*You are trying to make a dough that is thick enough to drop from a spoon with a nudge.
Add more of the buttermilk if dough is too thick.
Stir in cheese.
Drop onto a well greased baking sheet by the tablespoonful.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
*Check after 14 minutes, as ovens vary.
*These biscuits will brown.

Sour Cream Muffins

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Peg

I’m breakfast brigade chief for Saturday morning at the beach. Nothing says it better than these mini muffins with strawberry preserves, fresh from Peg’s kitchen just canned last week! Mmmm Mmmm Good! Add a little fresh squeezed oj and a cup of java and BOOM! I am duty free!

2 cups self rising flour, sifted
1 1/2 sticks Land O Lakes Light butter, melted
1 cup sour cream (do not substitute with fat free)
1/4 stick Land O Lakes Light butter, melted (to pour over cooked muffins)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine flour, butter, and sour cream gently with large spoon, being careful not to overwork dough.
Spoon into ungreased mini muffin tins by tablespoon.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
When cooled enough to handle, place on serving plate and pour melted butter over tops.

*Author’s Note: You may add 1/4 cup grated cheese to the dough or 1/4 cup sugar for breakfast muffins.

Makes 24 mini muffins.

Hoecakes with Bacon and Green Onions

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Peg

So…the pups (10 years young!) were at their favorite boarding kennel over the Easter weekend, and here they are on the passenger seat floor when I gathered them up this morn. They love the gravel road on their approach to Paws and Claws, but are even happier (and exhausted from all of their running around in the fields) when I come retrieve them. Since Naomi loves onion and cornbread, I made these hoecakes this afternoon so that I could accidentally spill some on the kitchen floor for her!

You will need:
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 Tbs sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs
8 strips bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled
2/3 cup chopped green onions
Canola oil for frying

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In separate small bowl, combine buttermilk, water, and sour cream.
Blend well.
Add eggs.
Whisk until just combined.
Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.
Stir gently until just combined.
Stir in bacon and onions.

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.
When oil is hot, drop batter by heaping tablespoons in to oil.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes on first side, until golden brown.
Flip over using tongs.
Cook another minute on second side, until golden brown.
Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Author’s Note: Second and third batches will cook faster.

Makes 24.

Ham Biscuits

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Peg

1 bag Mary B’s tea biscuits (in freezer section of grocery)
24 thin slices of country ham
*There is good country ham in the deli section of nice groceries that you can get sliced extra thin.
Dijon mustard
Butter

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook the biscuits according to package directions.
Allow to cool slightly.
Split the biscuits in half.
Coat the bottom side with mustard.
Tear the fat off the ham slices and fold the ham so that it fits the biscuit.
Place ham on top of mustard and top with other half of biscuit.
Spread a bit of butter on top of biscuit.
Place in a baking pan and cover with foil.
Heat until warmed through, approximately 10 minutes.

If you are not going to serve immediately place a damp paper towel on top of the biscuits and cover with foil. This will keep them moist.

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