Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Quick and easy. Get the  bread and butter ready—you'll want it for dunking.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 jar (15 ounces) Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce (or 4 Cheese Alfredo Sauce)
2 cups water
1 12.5 oz. can of Chunk Chicken Breast (do not drain)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (16 ounces) potato gnocchi (or your own homemade gnocchi
3 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
pesto or parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large saucepot, combine the first 6 ingredients.
Bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. 
Stir in gnocchi and spinach. Cook until gnocchi float, 3-8 minutes. 
Top each serving with your choice of 1 teaspoon pesto or 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť! 

Cauliflower-Cheddar Soup

        1 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces

32 ounces chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

1⁄4 cup butter

1⁄4 cup flour

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

1/2  teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cups milk

1 chicken bouillon

2 cups shredded sharp-cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, simmer cauliflower in chicken broth until slightly softened, and set aside, leaving in broth.

2. Sauté onions in melted butter until soft.

3. Season with pepper, onion powder, cumin and cayenne.

4.  Add flour, and continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly to make a roux.

5. Add flour mixture to cauliflower and chicken broth.

6. Add milk.

7. Increase heat, and cook until thickened and starting to boil.

8. Reduce heat, and add cheese, stirring until melted and combined.

9. Turn off heat so as to not allow to boil after adding cheese.

10. Finish off with the lemon juice.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť! 

Pizzelles

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon anise extract
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Preheat pizzelle iron, and mist lightly with non-stick spray. Remove any excess spray, you only need to do this once at the start.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and anise extract to combine.
3. Stir in the melted butter.
4. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until smooth.
5. Place about a tablespoon of batter on the hot pizzelle iron and close the lid.
6. Cook approximately 30-40 seconds, or until pizzelles look lightly golden.

1. Use a fork to remove the cooked pizzelles to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 40 thin and crispy smaller pizzelles, or 30 larger ones.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť! 

Coconut Cream Pie from Scratch

 

INGREDIENTS:

Pre-baked Pie Crust

For the Coconut Custard Filling:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs (use only the yolks for the custard; set the whites aside for meringue)
2 1/4 cups milk preferably whole milk
1 1/4 cups shredded or flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla 

For the Meringue:

       3 large egg whites, that you set aside

       5 teaspoons granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

 

Blind bake the crust according to the directions for unfilled crust here. Let the crust cool while you make the custard filling.  




Make the coconut custard filling:

1. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Use a whisk to mix them well. Pour the milk into the pan and stir well with a whisk or a spatula (which I like to use because it is easier to keep things moving on the bottom of the pan) until everything is very well combined and the dry ingredients are well incorporated. Place the saucepan over medium/high heat and cook, still stirring, until the mixture heats up and almost reaches a boil and steams and thickens into a smooth, velvety sauce, 8-9 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Gently ladle out about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture and begin slowly adding to the beaten egg yolks stirring constantly as you pour. (This helps to warmup the eggs and prevent them from curdling). After the milk and egg yolk mixture is totally warmed...pour the egg yolk and milk mixture back into the pan, stirring until completely incorporated.

4.Place the pan back over medium/high heat and continue to cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan often, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens considerably and begins come to a gentle but plopping boil. Let it boil gently for 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat.

5. Add 1 cup of the coconut, the butter, and the vanilla to the custard in the pan and stir to combine. Now pour all the filling into your pie crust. Set aside until you make the meringue.




Make the meringue:

Heat the oven to 350° F (176°C)

Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for a minute. Increase the speed to high and beat until foamy. Start adding the sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time. Beat the egg whites until shiny, soft, firm peaks form. (This should only take a minute or two).




Assemble and bake the pie:

Layer the meringue on top of the warm custard filling, spreading it all the way to the crust and mounding the meringue in the center of the pie. Use a butter knife to make peaks in the meringue then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of the coconut on the top of the meringue.

Place the coconut cream pie in the preheated 350°F oven on the middle rack and bake until the meringue is a beautiful golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and place the pie on a cooling rack to let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate and chill for a couple of hours. Makes 8 beautiful servings.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť! 

Strawberry and Pineapple Cream Cheese Fluff

Ingredients:

1 cup (8 ounce can) Crushed Pineapple in 100%  Juice ***(If you have the larger can, use half and make sure you take pineapple and a small amount of the juice with it).

1 (3 oz.) package Strawberry Jell-O 

8 oz. Philadelphia Fat Free Cream Cheese (take out of refrigerator an hour before making)

1 8 oz. tub of Whipped Topping like Cool Whip

Directions:

In 1/2 cup of boiling water dissolve the Jell-O in 1/2 cup of boiling water.

Put in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, at low speed on mixer, cream the cream cheese.

Add the pineapple, with the juice to Jell-O and incorporate.

Add Jell-O and pineapple mixture to cream cheese and mix on low speed until well blended.

Lastly fold in the 8 oz. container of Whipped Topping. (Fold in by hand).

Transfer into an 8"x8"or 9"x9"casserole dish and chill at least 4 hours.

When ready to serve, cut into 9-12 servings. Garnish with fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, if desired.

Enjoy! Elvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radost'!