Waller Tortilla Soup

Shortcut Tortilla Soup

Triple Batch fits into 12 Quart Stock Pot.  This is a family favorite – delicious poured

into thermos for a western Pennsylvania cold weather picnic.

Tortilla Chips (or slice corn tortillas into thin strips and sauté in nonstick skillet with a small amount of  oil)

15 ½ oz can tomatoes

4 garlic cloves

Canned/jarred jalapeno peppers, equivalent to two peppers

2 tsp oil

1 cup chopped onion

8 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups chicken broth & 4 cups beef broth)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

¾ tsp Worcestershire sauce

4 tsp fresh lime juice

½ cup reduced fat sour cream

½ cup plain nonfat yogurt

½ medium avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Quartered limes

1.     In medium pan, heat 2 tsp oil and add onion.  Cook over medium heat until soft.  Add garlic and cook one minute.  Transfer to blender – add canned tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and 1 cup chicken broth.  Blend until pureed.

2.     In pan, add remainder of broth.  Place medium sieve over pan.  Strain onion, tomato, pepper through the sieve, pressing with back of spoon, discard solids.

3.     Stir in seasoning and lime juice.

4.     In a small bowl, combine sour cream and yogurt.

5.     Ladle broth mixture evenly into 4 bowls.  To each portion, add crushed tortilla chips,  avocado and cheese.  Top each portion with one quarter of the sour cream mixture.  Serve with lime quarter to squeeze into soup at the table.

Can also add 8 oz skinless, boneless chicken, cut into ½ inch pieces). Corn is also a tasty addition.

Benihana Ginger Salad Dressing

Benihana’s Ginger Salad Dressing

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup peanut oil

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger root

1 tbsp chopped celery

1 tbsp soy sauce

1-1/2 tsp tomato paste

1-1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Dash each of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in blender container or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, process until almost smooth.

Makes 6 servings.

Deborah's Risotto

9 cups rich chicken stock

6 tablespoons butter

1 ½ medium onion, finely chopped

3 cups Arborio rice

¾ cup dry white wine

salt to taste

4 to 5 eggs, lightly beaten

9 oz Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and put the stock in a pot on the stove to warm.

Heat half the butter in a heavy saucepan and sauté the onion until it is translucent.  Add the rice and coat well with butter.  Stir for a few seconds, then add the wine.

When the wine evaporates, start adding stock to the rice, ½ cup at a time.  Stir it well after each addition of stock and once or twice as it is being absorbed.  You want this to be just barely simmering, not boiling.  Repeat until all the stock has been absorbed and the mixture is al dente and creamy.

Add the rest of the butter and let the rice rest while you lightly grease a 1 ½ quart casserole or flat pan.  Add the eggs to the rice and mix well, leaving no lumps.  Add salt to taste (I did not add any salt).

Pour half of the rice mixture into the casserole and cover it with the grated cheese.  Top with remaining rice.  Smooth this over and bake for 40 minutes or until top begins to turn golden.

If you would like to serve this unmolded instead of spooned out, let it cool for about 5 minutes and then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a serving plate.

Serves 8

NOTE:  I made this for Valentine’s Dinner 2009 and made ½ the recipe – it still makes a lot!  I think a full recipe would be more like 12 to 16 servings

Rex's Whiskey Sours

Las Olas Whiskey Sours by Rex

Make a simple syrup

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup water

boil in microwave until sugar dissolves completely

chill thoroughly

Combine

3/4 cup Jack Daniels

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

add chilled simple syrup

garnish with maraschino cherries and an umbrella

Makes 4 generous servings

Clam Linguine

Old-fashioned Linguine with White Clam Sauce

By Maine-iac on January 22, 2002

Prep Time: 5 minsTotal Time: 25 minsServings: 4

"This recipe is easy and takes less than 20 minutes. It's one of my weekend favorites and has been a family tradition for years."

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small diced onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

3 cans minced/chopped clams, with juice

2 tbsp parsley, snipped

½ cup parmesan cheese

1 lb linguine or 1 lb thin spaghetti

Directions

In a 5 qt pot, heat water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, melt butter and olive oil in pan.

Sautee onion and garlic, and add crushed red pepper flakes.

Add lemon juice, oregano, basil, and Old Bay seasoning, stir for one minute Add clams with juice.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Drain pasta and place in large bowl.

Cover pasta with clam sauce, stir well and top with parsley and parmesan cheese.

Serve with warm crusty bread and chilled white wine.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving Size: 1 (385 g)

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving% Daily ValueCalories 795.1 Calories from Fat 20425%Amount Per Serving% Daily ValueTotal Fat 22.7g34%Saturated Fat 7.6g38%Cholesterol 90.3mg30%Sugars 3.9 gSodium 1435.2mg59%Total Carbohydrate 96.1g32%Dietary Fiber 4.1g16%Sugars 3.9 g15%Protein 48.3g96%

Fried Pork Wonton

Capturing this recipe for later! Mom made it for me in December 2017 when I wasn't feeling well and it immediately lifted my spirits.

1 pound ground pork

¼ cup chopped onion

2/3 can water chestnuts, chopped

2 tbsp sherry wine

½ tsp minced garlic

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp cornstarch

¼ cup soy sauce

60 wonton wrappers

Oil for frying

Brown pork in medium skillet.  Drain fat and rinse meat, then drain again.  Stir in onions, water chestnuts, and wine.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Dissolve cornstarch in soy sauce, add mixture in skillet.  Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until thick and translucent.

Place 1 rounded tsp of filling in center of each wonton wrapper.  Moisten edges with water.  Fold 2 opposite corners together, forming a triangle.  Seal edges.  Pull the right and left corners of the folded triangle down and below folded edge so they slightly overlap.  Moisten overlapping corners and pinch together.  It should resemble a boat.

Fry a few at a time in hot oil (350 degrees) just until a light beige color – a few seconds is usually enough time.  Drain on paper towels.  Cool, then freeze wontons points down.

Bake frozen wontons in 375-degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Serve with Sweet n Sour sauce and/or hot mustard.

Sweet n Sour Sauce – or use store bought J

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tbsp soy sauce

2/3 cups water

½ cup cider vinegar

3 ½ tbsp. cornstarch

1/3 cup water

Combine first 4 ingredients, bring to a boil.  Add vinegar.  Blend cornstarch with 1/3 cup water and add to mixture.  Cook until mixture bubbles and thickens.

Hot Mustard Sauce – can make ahead, early in the day

¼ cup powdered mustard – I use McCormicks or Colmans brand

2 tbsp water

Stir and let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes

Bourbon kolbassi

One of my favorite party snacks, this dish reminds me of the late 1980's and early 90's. It's easy and delicious.



3 lbs of kolbassi, boil to remove fat (I do not do this)
1 c. bourbon
1 c. catsup
1 c. chili sauce
1 c. brown sugar

Bake at 300 degrees F for 2 hours or place in crock-pot

Recipe dated November 9, 1990 from Mom.

Ham and cheese buns

Another mom recipe - I have memories of these little sandwiches on special occasions. They're buttery, savory and simply delicious. I could not find poppy seeds at the grocery store I visited for ingredients and so substituted caraway seeds and it was delicious. I also used pretzel buns from Costco.

½ pound soft butter (I only use one stick of butter)

3 tbsp prepared mustard

1-1/2 tbsp poppy seed

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp dehydrated onion

24 Pepperidge Farms dinner rolls (2 packages in aluminum foil trays)

1 pound deli sliced ham

12 slices swiss cheese (approximately ¾ pound)

Mix first five ingredients (can melt butter and add remaining 4 ingredients).  Cut the rolls in half and spread mixture on both sides of rolls.  Place ham and cheese on rolls.  Assemble the rolls into small sandwiches, return to the aluminum foil trays, and wrap in foil.  Heat 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  May be made ahead and refrigerated.  If so heat 15 minutes instead of 10 minutes.  Can also freeze.

You can also make 12 sandwiches using 12 hamburger/sandwich rolls.  Delicious served with Corn Chowder.

Rosemary Cashews - A fan favorite!

This is one of Mom's recipes and people just love these cashews. They're easy to make ahead and for longer-term storage they're freezable. I have fond memories of eating these cashews over many family cocktail hours, especially with Washington can cheese at the beach.

1 ¼ pounds roasted cashews, unsalted

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (put into coffee cup and snip with scissors)

½ tsp cayenne

2 tsp dark brown sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter, melted

Toast cashews on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Place in bowl.  Mix remaining ingredients together – pour over nuts, stirring well.

Can also use mixed nuts.  If using salted nuts, reduce the amount of salt added.  Can freeze the nuts.