Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup

My mom makes the best soup.  Seriously, she should go into business selling it- everyone would go crazy over it!  There isn't a soup that comes out of my mom's kitchen that isn't amazing.  Her Vegetable Beef Soup is a huge family favorite.  Super simple to make, but jam-packed full of flavor, it is comfort food at it's best.  This one is nice and hearty due to the large chunks of beef and loads of veggies.  My mom always serves the large chunks of meat on the side, giving you the option of putting some in the soup and the other enjoying with good mustard, making it a satisfying dinner with just a hunk of butter bread.

With the ridiculous Polar Vortex we have been experiencing here in the Midwest, this is exactly the kind of food you want to be eating.  Put the pot on the stove in the afternoon and just let it simmer away throughout the day.  By dinner it will fill your home with the most wonderful smells and make your kids and husbands asking for dinner the moment they walk in the door from work and school.  if you are unable to stay home to keep an eye on your pot of soup, a crock pot on low for the day works just as nicely.  A nice hot bowl of soup says "I Love You" in the most snuggly, delicious way.

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup

2 32-oz Beef Stock (or 32-oz beef stock AND 2 tablespoons of beef bouillon dissolved into 4 cups of water)
1 beef chuck roast (1.5-2 lb) excess fat removed and cut into very large chunks
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)
1 cup corn (frozen or canned is fine)
(you may add any other veggies you like or have on hand, green beans, peas, cabbage, tomatoes...)
ketchup
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a large stock pot combine the beef, stock, chopped onion and bay leaf and allow to simmer over medium high heat for 45 minutes. Add the rest of your veggies, and a good sized squirt of ketchup- I know crazy ingredient! But it rounds out the flavor of the soup perfectly.  You can also use 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, but trust me, ketchup is the secret ingredient!  Allow to simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. 

Taste and season accordingly with salt, pepper and additional ketchup if desired.  The longer the soup simmers the more it will thicken.  I prefer a heartier soup, almost like a stew, making it a bit easer for my children to eat by themselves.   But if it reduces a little too much for your liking or if you prefer a thinner soup, add a bit more water until you get the desired consistency.

Serve the meat alongside the soup with a good mustard for dipping.  One of my boys likes his meat all on the side with loads of mustard and ketchup.  My other son likes his meat totally in his soup.  My husband and I like some in and some out!  Enjoy with crusty bread slathered in butter. 

Homemade Pasta Day with The Girls

One of my most favorite things in the whole wide world is when I get together with my mom and my sister for an all day cooking/baking adventure.  There is nothing like the bonding that happens with a couple of women in the kitchen. We laugh, we share stories, we bounce each other's babies on our hips while stirring steaming pots with the other hand. We receive beautiful wisdom and cooking techniques from Mom, while sometimes showing her a new little thing or two along the way.  I always leave feeling happy, usually dusted in flour, and completely filled up with joy (and a full belly!)   I have been taking pictures (of course) of our many adventures and am going to start showing you a little glimpse into our mother/daughter/sister/friend days.

Today is our all day Pasta Adventure!  My mom has been making homemade pasta since she was young, but hadn't done it in ages.  She came across her old pasta machine and invited Bonnie and I over for  our first experience.  Oh my goodness- so fun!  I hope you enjoy our day :)

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

For my birthday this year I got to celebrate with not one but 3 amazing dinners!  On friday I went on a very special date night (our first since having Owen!) at Jonathan Sawyer's restaurant, Greenhouse Tavern down on East 4th Street.  It was cozy, special, and easily our new favorite restaurant.  We can't wait to go back! Saturday evening we entertained at our house with one of my lovely sets of in-laws, Sandy and Don (check back tomorrow for the wonderful Cioppino recipe!).  And on Sunday I celebrated my birthday along with my sisters at my parents home.  A fun tradition we have with my family is that on our birthday's we get to choose what our birthday dinner will be.  Bonnie and I collaborated and we came up with Chicken Marsala.  Neither of us have had this dish in ages but both just love it.  My mom and dad did a wonderful rendition of Giada De Laurentiis' recipe, Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce.  The addition of the mascarpone cheese made the sauce deliciously creamy and soooooo good.  Thank you mom and dad for yet another perfect birthday.  Love you!

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Potato Pancakes

What defines "Comfort Food" to you?  For me, they are the dishes that my mom, grandma Babchi or my Auntie MaryAnn made.  These amazing homecooks always incorporating our ethnic cuisine into traditional American meals.  My heritage is German, with a bit of Ukrainian and Polish mixed in.  Maybe I am a little biased, but boy does this part of the world know how to cook!

One of my absolute most favorite side dishes of my childhood are potato pancakes.  While I was in college and would frequent a wonderful Jewish Deli, I discovered these are also known as latkes- a term I had never heard before.  Oh was I a happy girl when I found I could get a little taste of home whenever a touch of homesickness kicked in.  Whenever I see potato pancakes on the menu at restaurants I always have to try them.  Sometimes they are wonderful; crunchy, creamy inside a with even a touch of sweetness.  Other times they just taste and look more like either an onion flavored hash brown or even worse, an actual pancake with shredded potato mixed in the batter.

This is my mom's recipe, and the other night it was the first time I ever attempted making them on my own.  You know when you think back to a favorite recipe; you have a very specific memory of the way it should smell and taste.  While frying up these guys I was so nervous that they wouldn't come out like my Mom's.  But guess what- they were perfect.  Now I am kicking myself for waiting this long to make them!

Potato Pancakes
4 large russet potatoes, peeled
1 small white onion, finely grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon coarse salt
vegetable oil for frying

Grate the potatoes into a large bowl of cold water (the water helps keep the potatoes from oxidizing). Drain potatoes well, squeezing with paper towels or cheese cloth, removing as much liquid as possible. Add grated onion, eggs, flour, and salt and combine well.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line an oven safe plate with paper towels and set aside.

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat a half and inch of oil until hot. Place 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Be careful not to let the pancakes run into each other. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain and keep warm in oven on prepared paper towel lined plate.

Serve warm with applesauce, jelly, sour cream or my personal favorite, sprinkled with sugar. Scott loves them with ketchup, just proves how everyone has their own favorite topping!

"Green Fluff" aka Pineapple Pistachio Pudding

While visiting at my parents' home, my mom told me about a delicious dessert she just loved.  It is pretty simple, involving only a few ingredients.  You take a box of instant pistachio pudding mix, a can of pineapple and cool-whip.  Mix it all together and Ta-Da! Creamy, dreamy wonderfulness.  

Once I got home, box of pistachio pudding in hand, Jackson and I just had to make it!  But the thing is, I swore I must have forgotten an ingredient or two.  So off I went on a little hunt and stumbled across this version.  This one involved including yogurt and then all of the other ingredients my mom told me about.  A-ha, this must be it.  I excitedly called my mom after making it to tell her how much I loved her dessert.  Guess what, this wasn't her recipe.  Turns out her version really did only have pistachio pudding, pineapple and cool-whip!  My pregnancy brain really didn't fail me like I thought it did.  

BUT the recipe I ended up using was still sooooooooo delicious!!  It was a mistake that turned out wonderful, creamy and dreamy just like I hoped.  Plus I can feel good because I am feeding my family yogurt in disguise for dessert.  This Pineapple Pistachio Pudding, or as I like to call it Green Fluff, is light and creamy and kinda reminds me of a Yogurt Whips.  All I know is I can eat a lot of this stuff.  

Next time I will make my mom's recipe because she has never steered me wrong before. But until then, we will all thoroughly enjoy this one!  

Pineapple Pistachio Pudding
1 (1 ounce) package instant sugar-free pistachio pudding mix
1 (8 ounce) container plain low-fat yogurt
1 (8 ounce) container vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 (8 ounce) can unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
chopped pistachio's for garnish

In a large bowl, combine pistachio pudding mix, plain yogurt, vanilla yogurt and crushed pineapple. Mix until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled. Serve garnished with chopped pistachio's.

Mom's Zucchini Pancakes

Are there certain foods that take you back and remind you of a specific time?  Oh goodness, I have so many.  One of these is definitely my Mom's Zucchini Pancakes.  They are the definition of Summer to all of us and are a staple at many meals throughout the season.  The first time I remember eating these was while we were away on our very first family vacation to OBX (Outer Banks, NC).  We have since gone so many times and have made hundreds of wonderful memories there.  These pancakes are one of them!  I can't eat them without thinking of waves hitting the shore, the smell of salt in the air and laughing till our bellies hurt over delicious fresh fish the men just caught.  

These are an extra special family recipe, and you all should feel very lucky I am even sharing it on here.  (there may have even been a family meeting making sure it was OK for me to post...) It isn't like this is a complicated recipe- the exact opposite actually!  It just holds a special place in our hearts (and bellies!)  But it is one of those recipes that is so darn good, it is a shame NOT to share it.  It's a perfect use for all of those crazy zucchini's that are multiplying like rabbits in everyone's garden.  We double it all the time. Trust me, you will want to do the same.  These have a tendency to fly off the plate super fast and you will want the leftovers!   They are the very best eaten right away, the batter wonderfully fluffy and creamy.  But there is also nothing like having them the next day with breakfast or eaten cold layered in a turkey sandwich... yummmm!   

So please, enjoy this recipe with your family and hopefully it will become a summer staple for all of you as well.    

Mom's Zucchini Pancakes
1/3 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups zucchini, shredded
chives, chopped (optional)
butter for frying

Mix first three ingredients. Stir in eggs until moist. Fold in zucchini. Fry patties until brown.

*I like to keep an oven proof dish in the oven on warm and put the pancakes in there as they cook. Just be sure to keep them loosely covered with foil so they don't shrink up or dry out.  Diced tomatoes are also a nice addition.  Just be sure to deseed them. You don't want a whole lot of tomato, just enough for flecks of color and a bit of flavor.

Fridays, Feasting With Friends- Featuring Judy Trapp

“One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends.”  

~Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

Anyone who has tasted my mom's cooking understands how amazing she is. I owe my whole love of cooking to her.  She taught me all the basics- how toss a salad, bake cookies, the secret to a perfect hard boiled egg, the trick to creamy mashed potatoes, and how to prepare and stuff a turkey.  She had such a wonderful way of teaching how to do something.  It was completely hands on.  She would tell us what we needed to do and then just let us do it.  I am sure we ate lots of lumpy mashed potatoes until I learned how to make them just right- and she never complained.  She knew that if she critiqued too much we wouldn't gain confidence in the kitchen.  Instead she would just guide our hands in the right direction knowing we would get it in time.  Even today, having a house of my own, she is still the first person I call when I need some direction on a recipe.  And to this, Mom I thank you!  

So for this segment of Fridays, Feasting with Friends I bring you no other then my mom, Judy Trapp.  She is a woman I feel more people definitely need to learn more about!  She is humble, modest and the most sincere person I have ever known.  What a wonderful example God gave to my sister and I of a Virtuous Woman! I am proud that as I am growing up into motherhood I am becoming more and more like her.  I love you Mom!

Judy Trapp

My mom and Jackson when he was just 5 months old.  

• What is your favorite thing to cook? I love to bake, especially breads.  But for favorite foods I guess I would say "comfort foods".  Roast Chicken, pot roast, pork and saurkraut, etc.  I also love making soups of all kinds. 
• What is your least favorite Thing to cook?  I have to say appetizers.
• What is your favorite restaurant and are there any you are dying to try?  Can I say two? Number one all time favorite is Pier W.  My next closest to #1 would be Mallorca.  Dying to try?  I'd have to say one of Michael Symon's restaurants.  
• Where did you learn to cook and at what age did you start cooking?  I learned most of my cooking and especially baking from my sister, Mary Ann.  She is a wonderful cook and baker.  I spent a lot of time at her house when I was young.  There wasn't anything she didn't try and perfect.  
• What would you choose to be your last meal on earth? Anything Shrimp!  Or also scallops.
• What are you currently reading?  I've been reading Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaib and Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You by John MacArthur and I'm almost finished with Bordeaux Betrayal:A Wine Counrty Mystery by Ellen Crosby.  This one is about wine country in Virginia.  
• What is your favorite Kitchen Gadget?  That's a toughy.  I have quite a few.  One is an appliance gadget- the egg cooker.  One's I use the most are the cheese grater, herb gratter and zester and also my garlic mincer.
• Do you have a signature go-to dish?  I don't know if it would be a signature dish but I bake scones for special occasions with a homemade clotted cream and jam.
• What is your favorite thing about Cleveland?  I love Cleveland.  We have a beautiful Metropark system that very, very few cities have.  The West Side Market.  The cultural aspect of Cleveland with the Orchestra, museums, operas and Theater District is second to none!  
• Do you have a favorite meal from your childhood and do you still cook it at home?  Pieroges.  One memory is going to St. Peter and Paul Church somewhere in the now Treemont area of Cleveland.  I went there with my father and waited in line for them.  If you were "real good" while waiting in line you got a nice warm, butter dripping pierogi for free!  Now we go to one of the several churches that make them, usually St. Josaphat.  And when we get in the car we eat several of the nice, warm, butter dripping pierogies!  Also my sister, Mary Ann would make a cream shrimp dish with hard boiled egg and served it over mashed potatoes- real yummy.  I had it once when I went to visit her in Florida and made it for you and your sister one afternoon for lunch.  It was still very yummy like I remember.  
• Top 3 Movies of all time?  #1 Gone with the Wind #2 Godfather 1,2, and 3 #3 Moonstruck.
• Where do you do your grocery shopping?  Mostly at Giant Eagle, Heinen's, Marc's and Super Wal-mart.  Each one of these stores has their purpose.
• What is your favorite guilty pleasure when it comes to food?  Chocolate.  Chocolate cake and Godiva liquor at special times!! 
• Do you have Culinary Resolutions that you would like to accomplish this year? Master a good healthy whole wheat whole grain bread
• You have an amazing herb garden in your backyard and I was lucky enough to have you help me with mine.  My only woe with having a garden is I can't clip from it now that it is blanketed with snow!  What is the easiest way for me to preserve and dry herbs so I can enjoy them year round?  Having an herb garden outside your backdoor in your own yard is a real joy.  Nothing is better than picking and using them fresh.  Unfortunately living where we do once a frost comes not many are left.  Thyme and Rosemary are there under the snow, but that is about it.  I found trying to dry them and keep their taste is very difficult.  They need to be dried quickly to keep color and flavor.  I do all my drying in the microwave.  Put a cup of water in the back of the oven. You don't want to blow out your microwave.  On white paper towels (no prints) place a single layer of clean, dry herbs and cover with another paper towel and set the oven to 30 second intervals.  Keep timing until the the herbs are crisp.  Let dry in air before packing away.  I used jars.  Also herbs to put in sauces or soups you could pack in ice cube trays and fill with water to freeze.  As you need some, take a cube out.  About one teaspoon will fill a cube.  But always remember when it comes to herbs- Fresh is Best.  Tiny herbs like Thyme simply air dry and they dry quickly.  There is so much more but limited to space and time, so these are the basics.  

Gourmet Tomato Soup

Ingredients

3 Quarts of tomatoes

2 Cups chicken Broth

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4-1/2 Cup cream or Half and Half 

1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

Saute carrots, celery, onion with garlic until soft but not brown.  Add tomatoes and begin cooking until they soften and add the chicken broth.  Bring to boil and then simmer until all if soft.  If you want a creamy soup, mash the veggies and tomatoes with a potato masher.  Add the cream and season with salt and pepper.  If using half and half, don't boil.  You could season with basil or dill.  Also you could add shrimp or rice or even a pasta, tortellini is good.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when ready to serve.

Thank you so much mom for taking the time for this interview!  I loved reading all of your answers!  I made this soup last weekend when I was craving a grown-up grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup dinner and I was incredibly happy with the results.  It is a very simple recipe but the flavor is amazing.  This was one of those times cooking when the recipe came out exactly like I remember my mom's tasting.  It was a proud moment!  Please everyone stay tuned next Friday for my interview with my dear friend Tera Pepper!