Mediterranean Vegetable Soup

I have not been posting much lately and I am sorry.  But the good news is that I have been cooking.  I have made a few good soups recently that I want to share with you.  This one is very much a reminder of my childhood. My grandmother used to make escarole and so did my mother.  This is a very comforting soup.  I happened to have a can of white northern beans in my cupboard so that is what I used for this recipe. I think that I mixed chicken, vegetable and beef broth together but if you are cooking for a true vegetarian, then please use just vegetable broth. The soup will taste wonderful no matter which base soup broth or stock you use.

Mediterranean Vegetable Soup
from www.cooks.com

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken or beef broth
2 cups water
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, not drained
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz can cannelini or white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup pasta bows
Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 small head escarole (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot and celery, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, broth, water, tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and beans.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  If escarole is being used, wash, tear into 2 inch pieces and add to soup 15 minutes before soup is done, or at the same time as the pasta.

Add the pasta bows and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta and escarole is tender.

Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.


Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

French Toast Breakfast Muffins

This is basically the same recipe that my son brought home from his FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences) class last week. FACS is the name that they use for Home Economics here in Maryland now.  The only differences are that his recipe called for two extra tablespoons of flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder rather than 1-1/2, 3/4 cup of sugar rather than 1/2 cup and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I don't know why his recipe calls for making only 6 muffins and this one is for 12.  I will say that the muffins I made from his school's recipe came out quite large and stuck to the muffin pan.  I'm going to recommend that you not use muffin cups and just spray the pan really well with vegetable spray instead.   I was out of milk so I used buttermilk. There were lots of variations to the recipe online.  I found several that used maple syrup or vanilla in the batter.  Some even suggest that you dip the whole muffin in the butter and then roll it into the sugar/cinnamon.  Either way, they are really yummy! 


FRENCH TOAST BREAKFAST MUFFINS
Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together egg, milk and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moistened (batter may be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon. When muffins are finished baking, dip tops of muffins in the melted butter, and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

4.  Serve warm.

Enjoy!