He's the one!

 Here I am leaving the house on Saturday to start celebrating Bruce being in MY HOMETOWN.......

Rock & Roll YEAH! 

Okay, I promise, this is my last mention of the Bruce Springsteen concert until the next time.......
But I feel like I owe it to you to tell you just how absolutely incredible Saturday night was. 
Bruce rocked Pittsburgh.
It was pure magic.  
He rocked me.
I was enthralled.  Filled with joy. 
I never sat down.
I sang every song.
Every inch of my being was Brucified.
For 3.75 hours, I was 20 something again.
I was filled with the Spirit in the Night.  All night. 


So, as you can imagine, I was hurting just a wee bit yesterday.
Because I am NOT 20 something any more.  
However, I had to roll myself out of bed....because I am NOT 20 something any more.
I had a full day of chores and errands that needed done.  Plus,  yesterday  was the first class in the Thanksgiving cooking series that I take each November at Williams Sonoma.

By the time, I got home.......I needed comfort.  

Between my weary bones, my slight headache and my aching legs and feet and the cold rainy day....I was in dire need of comfort. 
And, you know how I comfort myself......in the kitchen.....

So, I chopped and stirred and chopped and stirred some more as I reflected on another wonderful night with Bruce......
I miss him already.   

Stuffed Mushrooms

• 24 ounces, weight White Button Mushrooms
• 1/3 pound Hot Pork Sausage
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
• 1/3 cup Dry White Wine
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 1 whole Egg Yolk
• 3/4 cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Wipe off or wash mushrooms in cold water. Pop out stems, reserving both parts.
Chop mushroom stems finely and set aside.
Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.
Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat.
Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate.
Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese.
Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.
Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

Creamy Italian Artichoke Soup

4 cans artichoke hearts drained and put through the food processor till pureed
1 clove of minced garlic
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 c. half & half
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

2 tablespoons romano and parmesan grating cheese

1 stalk of celery chopped fine or through processor

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, black pepper, salt, garlic powder and parsley
1/2 cup Chablis or preferred white wine

2 tablespoons of melted butter or olive oil combined with
1/4 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs mix together well, set aside for topping

1 package shredded mozzarella for garnishing

Drain artichoke hearts and rinse under hot water then puree in food processor add grating cheese. Combine soups,creams and chicken broth; stir over low heat until smooth. Add artichoke hearts, spices, wine . Heat thoroughly, garnish with buttered Italian flavored bread crumbs and mozzarella on top.

Fish Chowder

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon basil
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• Pinch of thyme
• 8 to 10 whole plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces or 2 cups stewed tomatoes, finely chopped, without the juice
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 6 cups clam juice
• 1 pound boneless pollock, cut into 1-inch cubes (or haddock or scrod, if preferred)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt to taste

In a 4-quart stock pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic. When the garlic turns brown, remove it quickly with a slotted spoon and discard. Reduce the heat.
Add celery, onions and spices to oil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add clam juice and pollock. Cover and bring to a boil.
Remove cover and boil 10 minutes longer. With a wire whisk, whip soup to break up fish into pea-sized flakes.
Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Add parsley and salt to taste.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

 In a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream.

  Italian Post Roast

• 2 whole Beef Chuck Roasts
• 2 jars Roasted Red Peppers
• 2 jars Artichoke Hearts, Drained
• 6 whole Sundried Tomatoes (jarred)
• 2 whole Yellow Onions, Peeled And Quartered
• 28 ounces, fluid Beef Stock Or Beef Broth
• 2 Tablespoons Parsley Flakes
• 6 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 1 cup Wine (red Or White)
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 12 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
• Fresh Parsley, Minced

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Throw chuck roasts into a large, heavy pot. Pour on the roasted red peppers, the drained artichoke hearts, and the sun dried tomatoes. If the sun dried tomatoes are packed in oil, drizzle in about a tablespoon of the oil. Add onions, garlic cloves and beef broth, then place the lid on the pot and cook in the oven for four hours.
Remove the pot after four hours and use a fork to confirm that the meat is falling apart/fork tender. (If not, put back into the oven for 30 minute increments until totally tender.)
With a slotted spoon, remove the peppers, artichokes, onions, garlic, and sundried tomatoes and place them in a separate container. Remove the meat and place it in another separate containers. Cover the containers holding the veggies and meat and refrigerate them several hours or overnight. Place the lid on the pot and refrigerate it for several hours or overnight.
When you're ready to serve the roast, remove the meat and veggie bowls from the fridge and nuke them just to heat them up. Set aside.
Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Remove the pot from the fridge and carefully skim off the solidified fat from the top of the liquid. Discard the fat. Mix flour with 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and set aside.
Add wine to the cooking liquid then bring it to a boil over high heat. Boil the liquid for several minutes, until it reduces by at least half. When bubbles appear all over the surface of the liquid, drizzle in a tablespoon or so of the flour paste. Check thickness: if it's too liquidy, continue to boil for another minute or two. If it's too thick, add some more broth or water. You want to wind up with a rich, thick liquid/gravy.
Arrange cooked noodles on a large platter and arrange chunks of the meat and the intact artichoke hearts and peppers (and garlic cloves!) all around the meat. Spoon the thick gravy all over the top and sprinkle on minced fresh parsley.
Serve immediately!

 

 

'Tis Monday once more............