Tomato Basil Soup

 This tomato soup recipe is a simple easy recipe to make.  Especially when it's cold outside, raining or just in the mood to dip a cheesy, cheese sandwich in your soup.  I've made this several times and its by far our favorite soup I make.  Hope you like this and have fun.

Enjoy

Ingredients

12 Roma Tomatoes

1 Shallot (diced)

5 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

2 Cups Chicken Stock

7 Fresh Basil Leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 TSP Granulated Garlic

1 TSP Granulated Onion

1 TBL Dried Basil

4 TBL Butter

Putting Your Soup Together

First grab a large stock pot

Turn your heat onto medium heat

Add butter and allow it to melt

Add onions and garlic

While that carmalizes cut tomatoes in half and take out the seeds

Now start adding your tomatoes to your onion and garlic

Allow this to bring out the juices in the tomato and allow them o break down 

Takes about 20 minutes

Now add your spices an salt and pepper

Add your chicken stock

Add your heavy cream

Add your fresh basil and allow this to cook for 15 more minutes

Now grab a hand blender and blend all of it together

After its blended together turn heat to low

Make your grill cheeses and eat them together

Now homemade tomato soup is not the sme color or thickness as canned...it's better

Enjoy everyone and have a fantastic warm day.

Oatmeal Cookie Orange Flavored Cheesecake

I like a challenge and this weekend I made myself.  So I made an oatmeal cookie orange cheesecake.  Ohh this is good and does taste just like an oatmeal cookie on crack.  Here is the recipe for you all to enjoy  on this gloomy Ohio weather day.

Enjoy

Ingredients

3 8 Ounces Cream Cheese

3 Large Eggs

2 Cups Rolled Oats

1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

2 TBL Brown Sugar

1/2 TSP Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

2 TBL Flour

1 TSP Vanilla

1/2 Cup TSP Shredded Orange Peel

1/4 Cup Milk

First Thing We Do

Allow cream cheese and eggs to stand at room tempature for 30 minutes

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Making the crust

In a food processor add you oatmeal and nuts and chop them together well

Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and process off and on for 10 seconds

Place this in a bowl and add your butter

Now add your oatmeal mixture to your spring form pan that has been buttered well

Flatten down with your hand

Set this aside and lets start making your cheese mixture

In a large mixing bowl add your cream cheese and granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, flour and vanilla, orange peel

Mix this all together until smooth as butter

Add your eggs one at a time

Now that its mixed well 

Grab your crust and add your filling

Smooth out the best you can

Place on a cookie sheet with water covering only 1/4 of the pan

Place in oven and back for an hour

This is your finished product

Place in the oven for 4 hours or overnight and serve it cold

This way it gives it time to settle

Enjoy my friends.  Have a wonderful day. Goes great with a glass of Pinot Grigio.

Enjoy.

Chicken Leonardo (My recipe and gluten free)

I know what your saying. Another Italian dish, but you have to understand I owned an Italian restaurant and am married to an Italian girl.  Who's great grandparents owned an Italian restaurant too in Oregon.  So I have been introduced to some amazing recipes and dishes.  

I am introducing them to you, so that you may share them with your family too.  This is a wonderful dish and is ALL.gluten free.  Enjoy

Ingredients

1 Yellow Onion (sliced)

6 Cloves Garlic

7 Fresh Basil Leaves (sliced thin)

1 Cup Fresh Spinach

2 LBS Fresh Organic Chicken (any type will do with no bone)

1/2 Pound Hard Salami (diced)

1 Cup Chicken Stock

1 1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce

3 Large Artichoke Hearts (diced)

2 Fresh Tomatoes (diced)

1 TBL Dried Oregano

1 TBL Granulated Garlic

1 TBL Salt

1 TSP Black Pepper

1 TBL Dried Basil

Gluten Free Pasta

Getting Started

First turn oven on to 375 degrees

Now get your onion and slice it thin

Take a large pan and turn the heat on to medium high

Add Olive oil and allow it to heat up

Add your onions, but add slowly as you could splash yourself with oil

Cook the onions for a good 8 minutes

Turn heat down to medium low

Dice up your artichoke hearts, garlic and tomatoes

Season your chicken with half the spices on both sides

Now add your chicken to the onions and allow it to cook on one side for 5 minutes

Turn chicken over to other side and add your garlic, artichoke hearts and salami

Add salami

Add artichoke hearts 

Add tomatoes sauce

Add chicken stock

Stir together well and add diced tomatoes and the rest of your seasoning

Add your spinach

Put lid on top and add it to your oven for 35-40 minutes

While this cooks make your pasta

Take chicken dish out of oven

Grab a LARGE plate

Put your pasta down first and add your chicken with sauce

Dice up your basil and place on top and you are ready to eat like kings and queens

 This dish is great with a wonderful glass of Zinfandel and well maybe the bottle.  Have fun and Enjoy.