Bean and Macaroni Soup

Bean and Macaroni Soup

2 cans (16 oz each) great northern beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 C onion, coarsely chopped
2 C carrots, sliced
1 C celery, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 C tomatoes, fresh, peeled, cut up
(or 1 1/2 lb canned, whole, cut up)*
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
to taste black pepper, freshly ground
1 bay leaf, crumbled
4 C elbow macaroni, cooked

 

*If using canned tomatoes, sodium content will be higher. Try no salt added canned tomatoes to keep sodium lower.

 Directions:

1. Drain beans and reserve liquid. Rinse beans.
2. Heat oil in 6-quart kettle. Add mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, sage, thyme, oregano, pepper, and bay leaf. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
4. Cook macaroni according to directions on package, using unsalted water. Drain when cooked. Do not overcook.
5. Combine reserved bean liquid with water to make 4 cups.
6. Add liquid, beans, and cooked macaroni to vegetable mixture.
7. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer until soup is thoroughly heated. Stir occasionally.

Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake

Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake

Yield: 10 servings

Apple Filling
ӫӫ4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
ӫӫ4 tablespoons unsalted butter
ӫӫ¼ cup water
ӫӫ1/₃ cup granulated sugar

2009 Inaugural Luncheon Recipes 7
ӫӫ1/₃ cup apple sauce
ӫӫ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
ӫӫ¼ teaspoon salt
ӫӫGrated zest from 1 lemon
ӫӫ1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bread Crust

ӫӫ14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melt 10 of tablespoons
ӫӫ2 tablespoons granulated sugar
ӫӫ34 slices brioche bread (or white bread)

Equipment

ӫӫ10 Ceramic baking ramekins or metal molds (3” diameter)

Sauce

ӫӫ2 cups caramel sauce(store bought)
ӫӫ2 cups granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced small
ӫӫPinch sugar
ӫӫPinch cinnamon
ӫӫ1 tablespoon butter

Ice Cream

ӫӫ1 quart vanilla ice cream

Preparation
Filling
1. Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add apples and caramelize, add water, cook, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are completely soft. Remove cover and add sugar, nutmeg and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring apples frequently, until liquid has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, apple sauce and vanilla. Set aside to cool while making crust. The filling can be made one day ahead 

Making crust and assembly 

1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Grease 8 ceramic dishes with 1tablespoon butter. Sprinkle sugar in dish and tilt to coat bottom and sides. Tap out excess sugar and set aside.
2. Using a bread knife, remove crusts from bread. Center the bottom of mold over one of the bread squares. Cut around mold to form circle to use as the top. Make a total of 20 of these round pieces. Ten will be for the bottom and 10 will be used for the top. Dip each one in melted butter and place at the bottom of mold.
3. Cut each of the 15 remaining slices of bread into four rectangular pieces. Dip one side of each strip in the melted butter and arrange strips, upright, around the inside of molds, buttered-sides against mold and overlapping by about 1/2” to completely line mold. Use 6 rectangles to line the mold.
4. Spoon the apple filling into bread-lined molds, mounding it slightly in center.
5. Take the remaining ten rounds of bread and dip pieces of bread into the melted butter and place on top of filling, buttered-sides up. Press down lightly.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover top loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until top is deep golden brown and side slices are golden brown (slide a thin-bladed knife between bread and pan to check). Remove from oven, uncover, and let rest for 15 minutes on wire rack. Run thin-bladed knife around edges of molds to be able to flip the mold out onto serving plates.
7. For the apple cinnamon caramel sauce, sauté 1 cup of peeled and diced Granny Smith apples in butter, add a pinch of sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cook until apples are lightly browned and all sugars have dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 cups caramel sauce to the apples and stir to coat apples.

To Assemble
Pour caramel apple sauce over warmed apple cakes and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Winter Vegetables

Winter Vegetables

Yield: 10 servings

ӫ2 bunches Asparagus, green, bottom 1/3 of stem removed
ӫӫ2 lbs. Carrots, peeled, cut oblong or large dice
ӫӫ1 lb. Baby Brussel Sprouts, fresh,cleaned or frozen can be used
ӫӫ1 lb. Wax Beans, ends snipped
ӫӫ2 oz Butter
ӫӫ1 each Zest from orange
ӫӫ4 oz. Olive oil

ӫӫSalt and Pepper to taste.

 

Directions
Asparagus: preheat grill or large heavy bottom sauté pan. Rub 2 oz of olive oil on asparagus and season with pinch of salt and pepper. Lay flat on grill or sauté pan until lightly browned. Using long fork or tongs, rotate the asparagus to brown other sides. Usually 2 or 3 minutes per side. The asparagus is done when you can use a fork to cut through. Do not overcook, this will cause asparagus to become stringy. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Carrots: bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, add carrots to water and cook until fork tender, meaning a fork will easily pass through the carrot. Drain the water from the pot and toss 1 oz butter and zest of orange and mix until carrots are coated. Season with pinch of salt and enjoy. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Brussel Sprouts: For Fresh: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, cut into the stem of the sprout with a pairing knife to create an X on the bottom, this will allow the stem to cook more evenly. Place sprout in boiling water and allow to cook until bottom of sprout is tender and easily cut with a knife. Preheat a heavy bottom sauté while the sprouts are cooking. Remove sprouts from water and allow all water to drain completely. Add 2 oz oil to sauté pan and add the sprouts, season with salt and pepper while tossing the sprouts around to evenly brown in the pan. If sprouts are too big, you can cut them in half, keep warm until ready to serve.

For Frozen: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil and drop frozen brussel sprouts into water, these are precooked so you are only thawing them out. Remove from water and sauté as above.

Yellow Wax beans: bring 3 qt salted water to boil, add snipped wax beans to water and allow to cook until fork tender or to your liking of doneness. Remove from water and toss with 1 oz butter and season with salt and pepper.

Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 2 quarts

ӫӫ3 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds
ӫӫ2 tablespoons unsalted butter
ӫӫ1 teaspoon kosher salt
ӫӫ¼ cup orange juice
ӫӫ½ tablespoon of brown sugar
ӫӫ1 tablespoon of molasses
ӫӫ1 teaspoon of ground cumin
ӫӫ2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
3. Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes while still hot.By hand or mixer, smash potatoes until all large chunks are gone. Combine the potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, brown sugar, ground cumin, molasses and maple syrup in a large bowl. Continue to mix all together until all lumps are gone. Adjust any of the seasonings to your specific tastes. Can be made the day before.

Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing

Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing

Yield: 10 portions

ӫӫ10 Pheasant breast, boneless, remove tenders and reserve for stuffing, cut small pocket in side of breast for stuffing
ӫӫ½ cup Olive oil with chopped rosemary, thyme and sage
ӫӫ1 lb. Wild rice, long grain
ӫӫ2 quarts Chicken stock or canned chicken broth
ӫӫ2 Carrots, diced
ӫӫ½ Onion, diced
ӫӫ½ cup Dried apricot, small diced
ӫӫ1 Tablespoon Salt and pepper mix
ӫӫ2 Tablespoons Garlic, roasted

Directions
1. Boil the rice with the chicken stock, cook until soft and most of the liquid is gone.
2. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and apricot. Cook until the vegetables are soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate rice mixture until cold.
3. In a food processor, puree pheasant tenders to a paste consistency to use as a binder for rice mix.
4. When rice is cool, add the pheasant puree to the rice until well mixed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until ready to stuff.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Make 10 small football shaped patties of the rice mix, stuff inside the pheasant, being careful not to overstuff the pheasant. Rub herb/oil mixture on top and bottom of the pheasant, season with salt and pepper. Place the pheasant on a heavy gauge roasting pan and then in a preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve over sauté of spinach.
*Pheasant can be substituted with chicken.