Tortellini Sausage Soup- From 'Our Best Bites'

Tortellini Sausage Soup
Serves 6-8

3 links Italian Sausage
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minces
1 (14.5- ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 c. apple cider (DON"T leave this out!)
1/2 c. water
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
 2 medium zucchini, shredded
1 (8-10- ounce) package cheese tortellini
Parmesan cheese

1. Remove the casings from link sausage. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing. Crumble sausage into a large soup pot and begin cooking it over medium heat.
2. Add onion and garlic to the pot. Continue cooking until onion is translucent, the sausage is cooked, and your house smells like heaven. ;)
3. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, apple cider, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini and simmer another 15 minutes or so. Add tortellini and cook until tender. Serve with bread and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Raspberry Poppyseed Salad

Here is the recipe for the salad that we served at Carolyn Stevenson's Baby Shower

1 bag baby spinach
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin and diced
1 small box fresh raspberries
1 cup candied walnuts
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Toss together. Drizzle with dressing right before serving. (The walnuts stay crunchier if you add them on top at the end)

Dressing:

1/8 cup Marie's Poppy seed dressing
1/8 cup Wishbone Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

Mix together equal parts then pour over dressing.

Egg Roll Wrappers

Homemade egg roll wrappers are easy to make and often less dry than storebought wrappers.


Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hourIngredients:

•2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 large egg
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup ice water
•Cornstarch

Preparation:

Sift the flour into a large bowl.

Lightly beat the egg with the salt. Stir in 1/4 cup of water. Add the egg and the ice water to the flour. Stir in as much of the remaining 1/4 cup of water as needed to form a sticky batter.

Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Knead the dough briefly, then cut in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.Roll each half into a cylinder. Lightly score so that you have 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a 3 1/2-inch square.

Stack the wrappers while you are preparing the remainder, covering with a damp cloth so that they don't dry out. If necessary, lightly dust the wrappers with flour or cornstarch to prevent them from sticking together. Use immediately, or refrigerate or freeze in a plastic bag until ready to use.

From this link

Cookie Monster Salad

1 Cup buttermilk (If you don't have buttermilk measure 1 cup milk + 2 tsp lemon juice, let set for 5 minutes)
1 sm. Pkg. intsant vanilla pudding
12 oz. Cool whip
2 cans mandarine oranges, drained
1 20oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 pkg, fudge stripe cookies, crushed

Mix pudding and buttermilk, add cool whip. Add. Fruit. Add crushed cookies just before serving.

Parmesan Chicken

This Is Barefoot Contessa's Recipe:

Barefoot Contessa’s Parmesan Chicken

serves 6 (Although I would say it could easily do 8 chicken breasts if needed)

6 boneless skinless chicken Breasts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt (I have if you don’t)

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper ( I use regular pepper)

2 extra large eggs

1 ¼ cups seasoned dry breadcrumbs

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (I buy the pre grated parmesan in the bag, not the green container)

Unsalted butter (I use salted cuz it is what I keep on hand)

Olive oil

Pound the chicken breasts until they are ¼” think.  You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate.  On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 Tablespoon of water.  On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and ½ cup parmesan cheese.  Coat the chicken breast on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture.  Pressing lightly.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of butter and 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil in a large sauté pan and cook 2 to 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

NOTE: I typically make this with Boneless skinless chicken tenders and it will make 8-10.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

2 Cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/3 cup jam (any kind)

1. Preheat oven to 350* and spray mini-muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
(Makes 24 mini muffins/12 regular size muffins)
2. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in small bowl.
3. In another bowl, whisk together peanut butter, egg, and melted butter.
4. Add dry ingredients and stir until flour disappears. Be sure not to stir too much!
5. Fill muffin tins half full with batter. Top each with 1/2 tsp. jam, then spoon the rest of the batter on top.
6. Bake for 20 mins or until lightly browned.
Enjoy!

Tara and Christina's Shower Menu

Here are the links to all the recipes that were served at the shower.  Hayley did a fabulous job in the planning and preparing of all the yummy goodness!


Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip with Pita Chips

Potato Bites



Veggie Bars

Apples and Toffee Dip

Edible Arrangement of Fruit (if you google it there are a ton of how to's The biggest helps was stuff your vase or bowl with a head of lettuce, start with the biggest fruit and move on to the fillers like grapes and strawberries.)

Razzleberry Pie-someone said putting in a teaspoon of Tapioca will make it thick if you like it less runny...

Oreo Truffles

Cherry Chip Cupcakes with Wilton Butter Cream Frosting

Monkey Bread  with no raisins or walnuts.  I am not sure this is the exact recipe but they are all pretty close to the same.