Cheese Tortellini Soup and Peggy Lee

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Memorial Day weekend. Stewart and I just said goodbye to his family a couple of hours ago, and we already miss them. It’s funny how you get used to having company around, with all the food and chatter. Now the house is quiet, and I reminisce on the great meals and conversations we had over the past 3 days. 

Friday night I made a big salad and cheese tortellini soup; and to say it was "successful" would be an understatement. After a 12 hour car trip to Memphis, I figured our guests would be in the mood to unwind and have a good, hot meal. I usually don’t brag (not my style), but Stewart's mother, sister and brother wanted the recipe. And for two days, everyone talked about how much they liked this soup. That was the moment I heard the “Hallelujah” chorus sing. This cheese tortellini and vegetable soup comes from Cooking Light, and it is a definite crowd pleaser. Trust me. The best part is that it only takes 20 minutes to throw together, from start to finish.


The orange and cranberry scones were another hit! I made 16 scones for this weekend and by 8 am Monday morning, there were none. Fortunately, Stewart and I weren't left with a refrigerator full of left overs, because we all know who would eat them...ME.


On two occasions I took Stewart’s mom and sister to the mall to do a little shopping. Macy’s had great sales on shoes; but surprisingly Julia walked away without a shopping bag in hand, very un-Julia like. Well fast forward to Monday afternoon, and we decided to head to the Botanic Gardens up the road. They were hosting the annual potter’s guild show and sale; and ya’ll, you couldn’t hand me a credit card fast enough. I was blazing a trail through each of the potter’s displays. It was awesome! First of all, I love pottery. They are such beautiful works of art; and the various shades of blues, browns, purples and greens swirling through each dish made them stunning. I bought two bowls and a spoon rest. And second of all, food is always better when you display it well; hence the pretty bowls : )

My theme song for this weekend was “I’m a woman”. I felt like such the multitasker playing hostess to 7 people: cleaning, entertaining, cooking, etc. There was no doubt about it that Peggy Lee and her ode to women was the perfect beat. Sing it, girl!




This weekend is Italian Fest, and it’s a four day work week!

Julia

Cheese Tortellini and Vegetable Soup:
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
1 (11.5 oz) can of condensed bean with bacon soup (such as Campbell's) undiluted
3 cups water
1 squash
1 zucchini
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 (9 oz) bag of cheese tortellini
*top with Parmesan cheese (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pasta; reduce heat to medium. Cook, partially covered, 7 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender. Yields 6 servings.

Send Me on My Way with Scones

Last night I made scones with my mom in preparation for Stewart’s family coming in town this weekend. I wanted to have something fun for them to enjoy each morning with a cup of coffee or tea, and scones are the perfect size pastry for a morning treat. So, I took the 15 minute drive over to my parents' house and mastered the art of making scones.

I chose orange and cranberry scones because the zest of the oranges and the sweetness from the cranberries are in season; but be on the lookout this fall when I make pumpkin scones. They are out of this world and taste like Thanksgiving.



I’m not a particularly big breakfast eater. Well…let me rephrase. I love a big breakfast on the weekends: bacon, eggs, pancakes, hash browns, etc. But on a daily basis, I tend to skip breakfast and settle for a cup of coffee. However, I never turn down sweets. Even in the a.m. So, if there just happens to be a display of fruitful scones in my kitchen, I will be the first in the house to wake up and go straight for the plate.


This particular recipe makes 8 scones. For a house full of 7 people this weekend, we made two batches. My mom coached me through the first round and then put me in the driver’s seat for the second round. It’s such a huge help to have someone walk you through the steps to make a recipe, versus just reading the directions from a book or web site. I love how these scones have such a rustic look to them, and they are the thickness of a biscuit. They're not your typical tea party scones, but better. 

I don’t know why these scones made me think of Rusted Root’s “Send Me On My Way”, but it did. Something about it makes me think of waking up in the morning and starting a new day, refreshed and ready to go. Perhaps that’s where the breakfast food ties in. Perhaps I associate this song with breakfast because they played it in the movie Matilda when she makes pancakes for herself in the morning. But, no matter the reason, I hope you have a great morning. Try these breakfast eats to perk up the start to your days.



Cranberry-Orange Scones:

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup butter, cut up
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon sugar


Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk and dried cranberries, stirring just until moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 5 or 6 times. Pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges, and place 1 inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with milk, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until scones are golden brown.

Julia

Pound Cake Is My Bread and Butter

It’s all about pound cake today. Because I’m pretty sure I’ve gained a pound for every piece I ate over the weekend. I hoped that by grilling this buttery cake, it would magically melt the calories right off each slice. Not so much. I guess every now and then, we just have to dig into these delicious desires. I’m all for a healthy, balanced diet; but life’s too short to worry about every bite. Live a little!

Along with the humidity this past weekend came sunshine. And where there is sunshine on a Saturday afternoon, there must be a grill. But this time, I wanted to grill out for dessert. Anyone up for a little grilled pound cake and berries? I saw this recipe in Food and Wine magazine; and it not only looks good, but it tastes great. Strawberries and blueberries are two of my favorite fruits, so this recipe was right up my alley.

We did, however, eat our dessert indoors. Hot cake and fruit mixed with humidity and 90 degree weather makes for an uncomfortable and un-enjoyable time.

On another note, Stewart’s family will be in town for Memorial Day weekend! We can't wait to see them! So this means I will be spending some quality time in the kitchen in preparation. And you can bet some of these meals will make its way to My Eats and Beats.

The Newbeats had a one-hit wonder in 1964 called “Bread and Butter”. And I had lots of bread, and lots of butter, and lots of buttered bread this weekend.



Julia

Mixed Berries with Grilled Pound Cake:
1 lb strawberries and blueberries (strawberries halved)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 Cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
Grilled slices of pound cake (grill about 2-3 minutes on each side)

Combine the ingredients. Light a grill. In a medium bowl, toss together all the ingredients. Arrange four 12-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface. Spoon 1/4 of butter in the center of each foil square and pour the fruit mixture over the butter.
Bring two sides of the foil up over the fruit and fold them to form a seam across the top. Fold the remaining two sides to seal the packs.
Grill the packs over moderate heat, about 10 minutes; open and pour the fruit into bowls. Serve.

Italian Pork Chops and Besame Mucho

It feels so good to finally prop my feet up with a glass of wine and relax. Saturday and Sunday afternoon were spent doing yard work, hours of physical labor. And it’s official. The hell of Memphis’ humidity has arrived. I almost forgot what that feels like. Oh wait; that’s right. It’s agony!


I had a blast with the electric hedge trimmers on Saturday. If you ever need a good stress reliever, take a pair of these bad boys to a front yard full of azaleas and go to town! Sunday I replanted the flowers in the front yard as well.

The first time around, we planted very fragile flowers that eventually took a beating by severe spring thunderstorms. So, this time around we chose French marigolds, Mexican heather and Pentas. Several of our neighbors walked by and said when I was done with my yard I could come over and do theirs. A-ha. A-ha. I told them, “now I know why people pay to have this done”. But I do feel a sense of accomplishment. I just hope these flowers live a long and fruitful life.

During the 2 hours that I worked in the flower bed, I thought I made friends with a little robin who stood within 5 feet of me the entire time. He would watch my every move and stare at the front door if I went inside for a cold drink of water. So cute! I even took photos of him with my phone, and he didn’t move! About an hour into planting, I realized what was happening. The robin wasn’t my friend. He just wanted to stuff his beak with the worms that were uprooted from the dirt by my shovel. Seriously, he would pack a fist full of those creepy crawlers in his mouth and come back for more. And here I thought I had a bonding moment with mother nature.

As a reward for all our hard work this weekend, I decided to make a nice meal for Stewart and me in the dining room. Eating in the dining room is more of a special occasion than routine. Because it’s just the two of us, we often come home from work, throw dinner together and eat in front of the TV, flipping channels between Glee (my choice) and the latest basketball or baseball game (Stewart’s choice). It helps us to practice the art of compromise.

On the menu for dinner was Italian pork chops with rice, salad and a bottle of Layer Cake. This meal packs a whole lot of flavor and makes for a nice presentation without spending hours in the kitchen. In fact, the only hour spent on this meal is the one when the pork chops are in the oven. And the rice is simply delicious. In fact, you can cook these two dishes side by side in the oven while you wait.

To channel a romantic Italian dinner, I listened to a romantic Italian tenor named Andrea Bocelli. His voice just sings “I’m sexy.” There are so many of Andrea’s songs that I love, so I’m sure this won’t be the last time you hear him on My Eats and Beats; but I thought “Besame Mucho” fit perfectly with a candle lit setting. However, at 6:30 on a summer’s night there’s more sun light than candle light in the dining room. Oh, well. It’s the thought that counts, right?

Here’s to another week of delicious eats and the beats that accompany them!
Julia





Italian Pork Chops:
3 pork chops
Garlic powder, oregano, celery salt, and pepper to taste
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
3 slices of mozzarella cheese

Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with seasonings. Place in 8x8-inch baking dish. Cover with tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Top with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Infallible Rice:
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 Cup long grain white rice
2 Cups chicken broth (hot)

Saute onion in butter until transparent. Add rice and hot broth. Bring to a boil on top of range. Cover and place in 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. (Serves 4 people).

*Recipes come from "Recipe Hall of Fame: Quick and Easy Cookbook". I added the can of diced tomatoes to the pork chop recipe and changed the serving size from 4 pork chops to 3.

Boiled Peanuts: a Southern snack

About a year ago I came across Garden and Gun magazine when a client of mine wanted to look into advertising with this publication, and now it is my latest obsession. Keep reading before you jump to conclusions about my recreational interests and hobbies. I realize with a name like Garden and Gun, you may think this is right up there with Ducks Unlimited, Bass Pro Shop and Larry the Cable Guy; but au contraire my dear readers. This magazine embodies everything that is the classic charm and tradition of Southern culture. In fact, I bought Stewart a subscription to Garden and Gun as a birthday gift this year, and I confess that it’s as much of a gift for me as it is for him. Every other month, this perfect bound publication arrives in my mail box and lures me into a world of truffle hunting dogs, guides to oysters and Kentucky bourbons, and Southern dream towns. Did I mention that the photography is beautiful? If you want to see more, check out their web site. You’ll get a feel for the real South.

In the latest issue (April/May 2010) I came across an article called “The Southern Invasion of NYC”. It talked about how Southern culture has never been more popular in the Big Apple thanks to a new generation of chefs, designers, musicians and entrepreneurs. Apparently one of my favorite snacks as a kid is now taking NYC by storm. It’s the boiled peanut. Boiled peanuts are the best! Leave it up to Southerners to cook foods in the most original of ways. Case in point: the fried pickles I made in one of my very first blog posts. But I grew up on boiled peanuts. My grandpa used to make big pots full in the summer. When you open the shell, they’re soft and packed with salty flavor.

Humbly I admit, this being my first attempt to boil peanuts, mine did not turn out as soft as my grandpa’s. To my defense, the grocery stores in Memphis don’t carry raw “green” peanuts; they only sold roasted peanuts which have already been cooked. Therein lies the difference. Mine still had great flavor and were pretty soft on the inside, but you don’t want any crunch to these peanuts when they’re done. If you’re sitting around this Thursday night and looking for a tasty Southern snack to accompany that bottle of Sam Adams Summer Ale, I recommend you kick back with an ice cold brew and wait for these babies to boil. It will take about 3-4 hours, so consider yourself warned that you need time and patience on your side.

Everyone’s recommendations for how much salt and water to use will vary; but you can see my suggestion below for measurements.


This evening is Harry Potter night! About once a month, my friend Shelby and I curl up on the couch and watch Harry, Ron and Hermione take on the dark Lord Voldemort. She brings the wine, and I make the dinner. Good times. Tonight’s feature presentation will be Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And we’re having Muddy’s cupcakes for dessert! I’m a happy girl who will assuredly be in a sugar coma around 10 p.m. tonight.


As a compliment to my eats, I needed a beat that was a song of the South. Here is The Doobie Brothers' “Black Water".

Go nuts tonight with these eats!
Julia











Boiled peanuts:

As previously mentioned, there are various recommendations for how much salt and water to use, so make adjustments where needed. Keep pulling out one or two each hour to taste test. You want to make sure they are soft, not crunchy at all on the inside but still hold its shape.


2lbs of raw peanuts
1 Cup of kosher salt
(I started with ½ cup and then added more salt as needed)


Rinse off the peanuts and place them in a large stock pot; completely cover with water and add the salt. Cover and bring to a boil and then simmer for about 3 hours or until the peanuts are soft. If they are still slightly crunchy, they are not done. If they are not salty enough, leave them in the salted water and turn off the heat. When they are done, drain and serve immediately. You can refrigerate these for a couple of days.