Terrific Tortilla Soup

Last weekend we were privy to a fantastic dinner of tortilla soup served poolside Chez Mama Henley. The best part is that I didn't even have to cook! Our dear friend, Wendy, made dinner for us after I had invited them over for swimming and dinner for the children and take out for the adults! Wendy called and offered to make tortilla soup instead. I must admit, I had my doubts. Would soup really fill us up or would we all be hungry after dinner? Wendy said it was our mutual friend, K's, recipe, and boy, is it a DELICIOUS one!! It is now a new staple at Mama Henley's house. I made it again last Monday night and now we're making it again THIS Monday night. It's super easy, FILLING, delicious, and healthy! You are going to slap yo' Mama Henley over this one!

Tampa Tortilla Soup

one rotisserie chicken or 4 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Pull meat off of rotisserie chicken or pull apart cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces)

one onion, sauteed in olive oil until limp and well-cooked

(1 tsp. minced garlic) one clove garlic, sauteed with onions once they have cooked

1 large can creamed corn

1 cup salsa (the fresh salsa at Publix is FABULOUS!... use medium for more heat)

4 cups chicken stock.... I used the broth that I used to cook my chicken breasts and then added some Progresso broth to it

1 /4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

**I season to taste with the cumin & chili powder**

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon lime juice

Saute' onion in olive oil until well-cooked and limp. Add garlic and saute'. Then add remaining ingredients in a large pot and heat through for about 10 minutes. I like to double this recipe and feed another family too!

ENJOY!
Serve with salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips (Wendy recommends the lime ones!), shredded cheese, jalopenos, cilantro, or whatever else strikes your fancy!

Tomato Pie

Here in sunny and cold Florida, it is tomato season. This July I was none too pleased that I could not buy a Florida summer tomato. I asked our friend who is a tomato breeder why I couldn't find a summer tomato. He explained that it is so hot and humid here that tomatoes rot in the field when grown in the summer. The crops are diseased and you just can't grow a tomato like those we have in good ole NC. I was mad then, but now we are relishing our "summer tomatoes" that are delicious, juicy, and perfect. Our sweet friend let us have a whole bag full of tomatoes, so I have been cooking up a storm and enjoying delicious blts and tomato sandwiches. One of the dishes I made was Tomato Pie. It is fantastic! It actually was the perfect dinner for a cold night. I paired it with a salad.

I always chop my tomatoes first, put them in a bowl, and then sprinkle basil, lemon pepper, and chives on the tomatoes. I added chopped fresh green onions this time which gave it a nice kick. You will use about 4 regular tomatoes or 6-8 small tomatoes.



Then mix 1 cup Bisquick with 1/3 cup milk until smooth and sticky. Spread in a greased pie plate and try to spread it to the edges. Bake t 450*F for 10 minutes. It should have a biscuit-like touch with sides like a mound when it is ready. Let it cool.


Place the tomatoes on top of the cooked and cooled crust. Mix 1 cup mayonnaise with 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Spread the mixture on top of the tomatoes. Bake at 375* for 30 minutes. Enjoy!!!

Quick & Incredible Cheese Biscuits

These make you wanna slap yo mama!!!
YUM! I wish I had a picture but my waistline has BEGGED me not to make them for fear I would eat the entire 4 dozen! Get ready, this is a keeper!

Quick & Incredible Cheese Biscuits

2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
2 cups self-rising flour

Preheat your oven to 350*F. Mix together the cheese and melted butter. Cool for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and mix well. Stir in flour. Spoon batter into greased miniature muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Serve WARM whenever possible! Hold onto to your seats because this is a little taste of HEAVEN!!!

Everyday Feasts, Tampa, Florida

I just love all of the Tampa Junior League cookbooks. They are truly fantastic!! Everything I have cooked using their recipes has been fantastic. On Mother's Day, I cooked Greek Shrimp Saute' for my parents. It was delicious!! I cooked it again for dear Tampa friends the other night. W & D have been so delightful (just like L & A) in making us feel like part of their family! I also made a Broccoli with goat cheese dish that is superb! The flavors mesh well together! Then, I made a sweet corn and pepper salad! I am now sharing the recipes with YOU!

Greek Shrimp Saute'
2 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed (you can use frozen as long as you thaw it)
1 Tbs. Lawry's garlic salt
1 Tbs. dried oregano
juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tbs. butter
1 cup flour
lemon wedges
hot sauce

Combine the shrimp with garlic salt, oregano, and lemon juice in a medium bowl and toss well to coat. Chill, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and discard the marinade. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Heat the olive oil and butter in a cast-iron skillet to bubbling but not smoking over medium to medium-high heat. Combine the shrimp with the flour in a large resealable plastic bag and shake to coat. Shake the excess flour off the shrimp and working in batches, place in the skillet, leaving room between each shrimp. Cook until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges and hot sauce.
***I used the leftover shrimp the next night to make shrimp and goat cheese tacos. I warmed the shrimp up in the saute' pan, and then put it inside a tortilla with some goat cheese. I put some olive oil in the saute' pan, and seared each side of the tortilla so that the cheese would melt a little bit. It was fantastic!***

Sweet Corn & Pepper Salad
6 ears of corn, or 4 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 small red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, stemmed and chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the corn off the cobs. Combine with the water in a medium saucepan. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 5 minutes or just until tender, drain. Let stand until cool. Combine with the yellow pepper, red pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Chill, covered, for several hours. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired. You may prepare it one day in advance!

This is delicious as a side, over fish, or as a salsa!

Broccoli with Goat Cheese

2 stalks broccoli
1 tsp. salt
4-5 ounces creamy goat cheese, chopped (I buy the crumbles at Costco)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chopped (salted is fine)
salt and pepper to taste

Trim the broccoli florets from the stalks. Slice off the outside of the broccoli stalks to reveal the tender green interior using a vegetable peeler. Slice the stalks into 1/2-inch circles. Fill a saute' pan with 1/2 inch of water and add 1 tsp. salt. Arrange the broccoli in a single layer in the saute' pan. Bring to a slow boil and cook, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender-crisp; drain. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cheese and butter and stir until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. You may substitute 6 cups broccoli florets for the 2 stalks of broccoli if desired. **I used the florets!*** ENJOY!

Ice Cream Balls and other summer desserts

Ice cream is one of those desserts that evokes images of hot summer days and fun with friends and family. Last night I enjoyed the first ice cream cone I've had in a very long time, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed!! It was a simple Breyer's chocolate and vanilla cone with a dash of butterscotch caramel syrup, and it was fantastic! If you are looking for fun ideas for ice cream treats, I have a few!

Take vanilla ice cream and let it sit out long enough to become soft. Buy a bag of Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies and crush them into tiny pieces. Put them in a gallon sized ziploc bag or a large bowl. Roll the ice cream balls in the crushed cookies and you have a DELICIOUS dessert! My friend, T, gave them to us once and they were fantastic!! You can also try Oreo cookies, cinnamon cookies, or any other kind of cookie. You can add syrup, almonds, coconut or other nuts as well. Be creative!

Another idea is to make homemade ice cream cookies. Make a batch of your favorite kind of homemade cookie. I prefer chocolate chip cookies. Then, let your ice cream become soft. Put a dollop of ice cream between 2 cookies and let it sit in the freezer for a while. You will then have a GREAT ice cream sandwich! F is so creative and she served these at a bridal couples' shower with sparklers in them!

Have FUN!

Special recipes

DH & I are still enjoying memories from our fabulous going-away party. I was particularly touched because all of the recipes for the food came from my cookbooks. I make cookbooks as a gift for friends and family. They are a collection of favorite recipes that tell a little about the person who shared the recipe and when they like to prepare it. It was so touching that our dear friends would serve these treasured recipes!! If you have a favorite recipe (it does not need to be an original recipe), please share it & tell a little bit about when you like to make it (example: My mother used to make these biscuits every Saturday morning. We believe they are best served with homemade strawberry butter or honey!). I would love permission to publish your recipes in cookbook #3! You can also email me at ahp5@aol.com