Comfort Food with Grilled Cheese Croutons

About a year ago or so, Willie went to a cooking class based on Ina Garten's cookbook, Foolproof. The cookbook was included with the price of the class. Even though we've had the cookbook in our house all this time, it wasn't until my friend Dayna sent me Foolproof as a part of our cookbook club, that I actually cooked from the book. I was intrigued by this recipe immediately because 1) it's tomato soup, 2) it has grilled cheese croutons, 3) do I need to tell you another reason before you're as intrigued as I was? No?! I didn't think so! 

This soup is fantastic! I made it with the orzo pasta, but I want to experiment with it a little more in the future and I suggest you do the same. I'll be trying it with no orzo, half the orzo, whole-wheat orzo, and fregola pasta. How about you?

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
by Sandra
Adapted from a recipe from Ina Garten's cookbook, Foolproof

1 Tablespoon olive oil (I used Sciabica Manzanillo Variety Fall Harvest)
2 large sweet onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock (mine was homemade, use what you have on hand)
1 28-ounce can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
A large pinch of saffron threads (I used Marx Foods Sargol Saffron Threads)
1 Tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup orzo pasta, drained (use package instructions but only cook for 7 minutes)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the olive oil and you will see a shimmer to it. Immediately add the chopped onions and stir. If your onions brown quickly, reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for about a minute or so until it becomes fragrant. Add the stock, tomatoes, saffron threads, salt, and pepper and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cooked and drained orzo. Add the heavy cream. Stir. Cook until heated through. Serve with Grilled Cheese Croutons (below).

Note: The soup serves 4. If you do not plan on serving all of the soup at once, it is a good idea not to add the orzo to the soup. Pasta absorbs so much liquid that your soup will be less soup-y as a leftover. Simply add a serving of orzo to your individual soup serving bowl and then add the soup over it. Make fresh orzo with your leftover soup.

Grilled Cheese Croutons
by Sandra
Adapted from a recipe from Ina Garten's cookbook, Foolproof

Use any kind of bread you have on hand and any cheese as well. I used a 15 grain bread and a combination of Gruyere and Jarlsberg because it is what I had on hand, but you can use white bread and American cheese, if that's what you have! Anything will work! Make a grilled cheese and then allow it to sit on a cutting board until slightly cooled. Cut in 1-inch squares like croutons and serve your soup with a few, more more than a few, atop the soup.

Savory Brunch Rolls

I thought I came up with a great recipe idea (and I was pleasantly surprised to have everything I needed on hand, including the dough from a double batch I made the night before, so no trips to the store)...use the cinnamon roll concept, only make it a savory roll. After a bit of recipe surfing, I quickly realized that this great idea had already been created. LOL And since my family loves the sweet smell of freshly baked anything coming from the oven, when they come down stairs for the first time in the morning it only seemed natural that I would make a new versions for them.

We served this for an impromptu Sunday brunch with family and friends and added scrambled eggs, avocado slices and fresh mango. Yum!

Here's my spin on this old classic.

Slap Ya Mama Crab Cakes

I love crab cakes, but I live in Houston, and crab cakes here are not the crab cakes of Maryland. Typically ours are full of fillers, which is exactly what I didn't want when making these. I was excited to be able to make crab cakes using the Slap Ya Mama Cajun products. I started by buying the best crab I could find. I used jumbo lump crab. One pound cost $24, but I didn't price-shop. I will next time though, because these will be part of my cooking rotation at home. This was a fantastic meal for two seafood lovers. I served the crab cakes with a green salad and corn bread. We ended our lunch with bite-sized lime mousse tarts. Enjoy!

Yia Yia Slapped Your Mama (Cajun-Greek Salad)

Yia Yia Slapped Your Mama (Cajun-Greek Salad)
by Linda

Salad Dressing:
1/2 cup lemon-flavored olive oil (I used Sciabica)
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or 2 cubes Dorot Crushed Garlic
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
Sea Salt
Ground black pepper

Lobster Pie

When my husband retired a few years ago, we took a road trip to Wells, Maine, all the way from Houston, Texas. It was a whopping 1,986 miles one way! We were blessed to get a really good deal on an end-of-the-season vacation home that belonged to his ex-boss. We got there just in time to see the beautiful fall colors and because it was the end of season, all the big crowds were gone. 

Shrimp and Cucumber Ceviche

My family loves the beach. Whenever we get a chance to get away, we always try to find someplace tropical. Hopefully when you are at the beach it is sunny and hot, and on those days it is great too cool off with something fresh and cool, like ceviche. Fresh seafood and vegetables served cool with a beer or Margarita is just what we love. There are many recipes for ceviche all over the internet. You can certainly adjust ingredients as you like. Also, the cucumber salsa portion of this recipe is great on its own. Just leave out the first 5 ingredients for ceviche and you have a great chunky salsa that you can serve with chips.

Have a Happy National Peach Month with Chunky Peach and Avocado Salsa!

Once upon a time, my cousins had a huge peach orchard in Mexia, Texas. They had a trailer that sat right in the middle of it. You could open a window and pick a peach. When I would go visit during the summer, there were always plenty of fresh peaches to eat. My cousin would also put up peach preserves that were to die for. Who wouldn't love biscuits with peach preserves for breakfast, fresh peaches for lunch, and hand churned peach ice cream for dinner? Peach heaven! While my cousins no longer have the peach orchard, I still love the beautiful Freestone peaches from that area.

Lavender Ramp Vinaigrette

Lavender Ramp Vinaigrette
by Mary

When I picked the Sciabica's Lavender Extra Virgin Olive Oil, my original thought was to make an olive oil cake.  I think the delicate lavender flavor would translate well in a cake.  Once I got into the kitchen though, I discovered I was sorely lacking in sugar.  Since it was Mother’s Day and I had guests coming in only a few hours, I had to re-think the use of the lavender oil.  No time for a trip to the store.  I had a back up dessert, that’s a recipe for another challenge.  I needed another use that would showcase the floral-y oil.  

Wedge Salad with Lemon Blue Cheese Dressing

Wedge Salad with Lemon Blue Cheese Dressing

by Carrie

To make dressing:

6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup Sciabica's Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (http://www.sciabica.com/products/Lemon-Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil.html)

salt and fresh ground pepper

In a small bowl, mash together the blue cheese, lemon juice and zest to form a paste; whisk in buttermilk and dijon mustard; add olive oil in a slow drizzle while whisking constantly until thick; add salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato Salad with Capers, Anchovy and Olives

Tomato Salad with Capers, Anchovy, and Olives
by Carrie

2 pounds tomatoes, cut in to small wedges

6 anchovy filets, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

1/2 cup Sciabica's Mission Variety Spring Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil

juice and zest from 1 lemon

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

3 Tablespoons nonpareil capers, drained and rinsed

Roasted Artichoke Ravioli

When I saw this challenge, I immediately decided I wanted to make something with artichokes. I think the thought process went something like this:

Sciabica is located in California.

Sciabica's Lavender Olive Oil and Mint Honey Roasted Chicken with Smashed Olive Oil Yukon Golds

Lavender has always made me think of the my grandmother's bathroom or stale clothing drawer pouches. Not this stuff! It has a beautiful freshness to it that tells me it hasn't been dried and processed to death. And then, well, there is the olive oil itself. It is gorgeous with a luxurious finish. I've been on a mint kick of late so here you go!

Sciabica's Lavender Olive Oil and Mint Honey Roasted Chicken with Smashed Olive Oil Yukon Golds

by Diana

1 whole chicken 4-5 pounds, rinsed and patted dry

salt and pepper

3 ribs celery

Gorgonzola and Tomato Bruschetta with Manzanilla Olive Oil

Easy, peasy! This is one of my my favorite dishes to have with grilled chicken and a salad for dinner. It’s super simple, but the Manzanilla Variety Fall Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Sciabica’s, makes it really work with its bright, fruity and peppery flavor. People who know me know I love a bit of spice.

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Sciabica Jalapeno Olive Oil

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Sciabica Jalapeno Olive Oil

by Willie

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green pepper, chopped

3 Tablespoons Sciabica Jalapeno Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for tortilla strips

roasted whole chicken

8 cups chicken stock

1 small can tomato paste

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups black beans, drained (cooked or canned)

6-8 corn tortillas, cut in 1/2 inch strips

sliced avocados

Crust-less Quiche

Crust-less Quiche

by Jenny

serves 4-8

2 Tablespoons Sciabica's Manzanillo Variety Fall Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1 cup baby spinach, chiffonade 

1/2 cup zucchini, 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup white onion, 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup orange bell pepper, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon cilantro, fine chop
1 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese
2 cups Egg Beaters

Baby Artichoke Salad

Baby artichokes are adorable - just like any tiny vegetables.  But, besides the cute factor, the practical benefit is that baby artichokes don't have a choke - that fuzzy, inedible center that you find in mature artichokes.  That means they're easier to prep.

Apricot & Lemon Muffins

Apricot & Lemon Muffins

by Aimee Self

adapted from Aunt Mamie’s recipe on allrecipes.com

1 cup chopped dried apricots 1 cup boiling water 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup melted butter 1/4 cup Sciabica's Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 cup buttermilk* 1 egg

Yogurt Olive Oil Cake

Who doesn't like a moist cake that's versatile as all get out?  This one is not only completely delicious, with a subtle lemon flavor, but it goes together quickly, needs only one bowl, keeps well, and can be adapted to different flavors.  I used Sciabica's Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil and, of course, you might want to add some freshly grated lemon peel. 

Pasta with Chicken, Mushrooms and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Pasta with Chicken, Mushrooms and Sun Dried Tomatoes

by Sharyl

1 - 2 pounds of chicken - tenders or breast

1 cup of Sciabica's Sevillano Variety Fall Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil - divided (see below)

1 cup of butter - divided (see below)

1 garlic clove - minced

juice of 2 limes

salt and pepper

small jar of sun dried tomatoes

2 cups of fresh white mushrooms

½ cup of white wine

pasta of your choice

Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Zucchini Fritters with Jalapeño-Lime Aioli

Let's be honest:  this recipe is really about the aioli.  Yes, some would (and do) call this mayonnaise, but when you're dipping pretzels in it (a common practice by my Grandmother that was passed down to me), calling it "aioli" seems to make it much more socially acceptable.