Pasta Fagioli Soup

sorry for the worst pic ever.

I am sitting here freezing and I don't feel so well. Therefore, I think a little homemade soup sounds perfect right now. I love pasta in all its playful shapes and sizes. I definitely think that every pantry or food storage should have a variety of pasta shapes. As soon as the specialty pasta boxes go on sale I am swooping them into my basket.  Ditalini is one of my new favorites. Such adorable little cylinders. You can use any small past shape for this soup, even maccaroni would be fun and a good use of all that extra macaroni you have stored. However, make it fun and try the Ditalini if you can find it. The other reason I love this soup is  because it is a great use of my canned smoked ham and cannelini beans. It's pantry friendly!

Ingredients
1 Cup Ditalini or small pasta shape
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion minced
1 celery stalk minced
1 carrot minced (You could also use about a 1/4 cup of deyhdrated carrots here)
2 Cans (15 oz) cannelini beans drained and rinsed.
4 cups beef stock
1 Tb fresh thyme, minced or 1 tsp dried
1 bay leaf
Dash ground black pepper
Rind from a piece of parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt to taste
Basil, minced
Parmesan cheese

In a large stockpot, heat oil and add onion, celery and carrot.. Saute for 5 minutes. Add ham and garlic and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add tomatoes beans beef stock, thyme, bay leaf and parmesan rind.

Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minitues. Transfer 1/2 cup of soup from pot to a small processor or blender and puree.

Return to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring liquid to a boil and add pasta. Simmer until pasta in tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and top with basil and parmesan cheese.

Lea and Perrins Shine at Dinnertime Challenge

Being a devout lover of cooking out of the pantry with a dash of flavor, I love worcestershtire sauce. I use it all the time. So Lea and Perrins sent me some vouchers for the stuff and encouraged me to enter their Shine at Dinnertime Video Recipe Challenge. The grand prize is $10,000. And I am going to do it. Because I want all kinds of tasty ideas on how to use my Lea & Perrins I think you should enter too.
Head on over to http://www.shineatdinnertime.com/ I will see you there.

Honey Spiced Pears Canned

Poor neglected blog. I have been so busy with my magazine I have neglected to post new recipes.

So because it is pear season,
 I am giving you my new favorite recipe for canned dessert pears. Ususally, I can my pears in 100 percent white grape juice. I am usually anti syrup in my canned fruit until I tried these honey spiced pears. They are delish. I know. I already opened a bottle on accident. I already know how I plan to eat these pears come winter. I am going to top them with some mascarpone and homemade hot fudge sauce. Doesn't that sound like a little bit of decadence from the food storage.

Now the source for this recipe is iron clad. I got it off the back of the Kerr jar lid box.

Honey Spiced Pears (appx 5 pints)
6 Pounds of Pears halved and cored and peeled.(about 10 cups)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Vinegar, 5 % acidity
1 Cup honey
1 Cup water
2 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp whole coriander
1 Cinnamon Stick, broken

Prepare home canning jars and lids according to manufacturers directions. Keep sterilized jars warm in dishwasher.

Prepare pears  by peeling coring with a spoon and halving. Place in a bowl of water with fruit fresh or a TB of lemon juice.

Combine sugar, honey, vinegar and water in a large saucepot.
Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag or metal tea bag and place in saucepot.

Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add pears to syrup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes or until pears are hot.

Pack pears in hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle syrup over pears leaving 1/2 inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles by running a plastic knife or non mettalic spatula down the insides of the jars very slowly.

Wipe rims clean with a clean paper towel or cloth. Place lids and rings on jars Screw band down evenly and firmly to fingertip tight.

Process in a boiling water or steam canner for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts (1,000 ft elevation) for 1,001 to 3000 feet add five minutes, for 3,001 to 6000 feet elevation add an additional 5 minutes (pints 30 minutes, quarts 35 minutes.

Peach Almond Praline Pie

It's almost too late for this recipe. So I am rushing my pie creation to you as fast as I can. Hopefully, peach season has not completely left. It is obvious from my blog that I am a pie girl. I will always choose pie over cake. Which is one of the reasons I love Fall. I love to bake pie.

Well, the peaches were on their way out. They had been sitting on the counter too long and so it was time for peach pie. But then it hit me -- almonds and peaches make a beautiful couple. Imagine how tasty pralined almonds would taste on the top of my peach pie, peeking out of a crispy sugar shimmered lattice pie crust. Be still my peach pie loving heart, those pralined almonds were delicious.

How to make a peach pralined pie.

2  pie crusts. I use a crust from my bulk pie crust recipe. 
8 -10 large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced.
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 TB cornstarch
4 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla.

Praline Almonds.
1 cup raw almonds, chopped coarsely
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Tb butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a heavy 10 inch skilletcombine nuts, sugar and butter and vanilla. Cook over medium -high heat shaking skillet occasionally, till sugar begins to melt. Do not stir. Reduce heat to low and cook till sugar is golden brown, stir occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees farenheit.

To Peel Peaches: Scald peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute. Plunge into ice cold water. Skin will slide right off.

Pit halve and cut each peach half into four pieces. Place in a large bowl and squeeze lemon juice and vanilla over them.

Combine sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Toss gently with the peaches. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Prepare pie crust by rolling out each crust to a 10 inch circle. Line a greased pie pan with one crust. Cut other crust into 1 inch strips.

Fill with peach filling. Top with almond praline.

Use strips to create a lattice top pie cover. You may weave over and under. I am lazy and just lay one layer on top of the next. Brush pie crust with beaen egg. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes until crust is browned and juices are bubbling. 

Cool on a wire rack to room temperature and serve with something white and creamy, whip cream or vanilla ice cream.


Place peach slices in a large bowl