GCC: Tuscan Cannellini Bean Soup

November 13, 2011 by Monica in Cooking Club, Gutsy Cooks Club, Soup, Vegetable

For the past few days we have experience early fall weather. Cool nights, gorgeous days, filled with a nice breeze and bright sunshine.

Today was no exception, we woke up to the perfect day to lazy out at home and just be together.

Tom and I did not have to think twice about it – we were going to park ourselves on our couch, snuggle and watch tons of TV.

Just like I did not think twice about what to make for our lunch. Our December Gutsy Cook menu options it’s all about comfort and warmth, and this week’s option had the perfect choice for a cool day like today.

GCC: Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice

October 10, 2011 by Monica in Baking, Gutsy Cooks Club, Quick Meal, Savory, Sides, Vegetable, Vegetarian

This was my second recipe from our Gutsy Cook line up this past week.

As the recipe in Saveur mentions, Italian has the stuff vegetables thing down pack. Pretty much any antipasto table will have a vegetable that has been stuffed with meat, other veggies and in this case rice.

What appeal to me about this recipe is that fact that the most time consuming task here is prepping the tomatoes. You have to trim them, and then scoop out the inner pulp without puncturing the walls.

This little prepping step may be a zilch for some cooks. No biggie – cut top, scoop out pulp, and cut bottom. Done.

For my perfect convulsive ODC twin this took a while, since I wanted them perfectly hollow out, and wanted them to stand up tall and pretty and the tops needed to be at the right angle and the bottoms…

Never mind. (I know, I got a problem – I’m trying to deal. Lets move on.)

Mini Tomato Pies

July 31, 2011 by Monica in Appletizers & Snacks, Cookbooks, Entertaining, Quick Meal, Vegetable

I have been meaning to make this recipe for quite some time.

But, it’s never been the “right” time.

I saw the recipe for it numerous time here

It was calling to me. I had to make them.

If you read the original recipe, which was published by Martha Steward Living you will see that I took a shortcut, because her version makes Pate Brisee, which is the fancy, French way of making Pie Crust.

I used pre-made pie dough, which had been sitting in my refrigerator for the past week.