Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup from a Favorite Site

One of my favorite recipe sites is All recipes. com.  I go here for something new.  allrecipes.com/

Once upon a time I headed up a women's group called The Flamboyant Gourmets, with our purpose being to try new things on each other before we tried them on our families. We usually had a theme; something new, something tried and true, Mexican, slow cooker...you get the picture.  One day I was searching for something new to take and found Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup.  I LOVE Red Peppers!
I got my Flambo on, put my red peppers in the broiler, watched with eager anticipation and burned my hand terribly turning them. I have a tendency to reach into hot places without an oven mitt (much to my mother's chagrin), and blackened my hand rather than the pepper skins. 

 Note to the world

• This recipe works best if you don't broil yourself along with the peppers. 
• *Use* your extra-long oven mitts that your mother bought for you
• Pull out the rack before you turn the peppers. 
• Stay away from the broiler unit.
• Get your Flambo on-try something new
• No Fear

Roasted Red Pepper andTomato Soup

Tomato Wockentine

This is my quick version of Tomato Florentine.  Many years ago, my husband and I regularly visited a restaruant in the Baltimore area called The Rusty Scupper.  They served wonderful soups, with Tomato Florentine being one of my favorites!!  Time to get your Flambo on!!

Tomato Wockentine

2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup chopped Vidalia (sweet) onion

1 Tbl chopped garlic (never be shy with garlic)
1 1/2 tsp Oregano
1 can Italian Style Diced tomatoes (no special brand)
1 can Campbells Tomato soup
4 cups water
a few celery leaves
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1/2 cup green beans, broken into small pieces (canned or frozen)
1 -1/2 cups cooked macaroni, or small shell, something small

In a 2 quart-ish  saucepan, pour about 2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil, let it heat, then add the onion, garlic and oregano.  Saute until onion is tender.  Add Tomatoes, tomato soup, water, celery leaves and frozen spinach.  Let simmer about 15 minutes then add green beans and simmer about a minute more.  Add pasta and serve.  Serves....oh....prolly 5-6 bowls.

Strawberry Frosting

When I was growing up, Graham Crackers slathered with white frosting was the best thing in the world. My momma was not really a cookie baker and this was the cookie she made for us (and I have to say she is still not a Cookie Baking Granny today.  She's still rocking out to Grand Funk Railroad in her kitchen).  Oh, yum, such a feeling of nostalgia warms my soul as I remember the sweet treat.  I still make them once in a great while, because if I made them more often we would have to widen the doorways for me.

Well, sometimes Flamboyant Gourmets have to shake things up a little. For Valentine's Day, my insatiable son wanted a Red Velvet cake (box mix) with homemade Strawberry Frosting.  Well, when I made the frosting, we had LOTS left over so we slathered it on Graham Crackers. Oh, Honey ME!  This was better than what I grew up with.  You can even see the chunks of strawberries in the picture.                                                           

Strawberry Frosting

about 1/3 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1 cup of your favorite margarine

1/2  tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp Imitation Butter flavoring

about 3 pounds of powdered sugar, maybe even more!!

Cream your margarine then add a 2 lb bag of powdered sugar, vanilla, butter flavoring, and chopped strawberries.  Get your Flambo on and just start adding more powdered sugar until the consistancy is right.  Now, because it will be kinda runny, I frosted only the middle and top of my cake, as it ran down the sides anyway. 

Store leftover frosting in a large container in the fridge.

So NOW, you have lots of Strawberry frosting left over to slather on graham crackers. Make sure you buy about 3 boxes for leftover frosting.

Oh, Honey ME!

Blue Corn Muffins

Blue Corn Muffins

1/2 cup extra light olive oil

1 cup milk (I use Almond MIlk)

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

2 cups Muffin Mix*

1 cup Blue Corn Meal**

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly spray or grease a 12- cup muffin pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, milk, honey and eggs.  Mix well.  Add the muffin mix and Blue Corn Meal, stirring til just moistened.  Scoop the batter into the 12 muffun cups and bake for about 20 minutes.

Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

*See side bar for for Muffin Mix recipe-- I keep this ready made for when we want muffins. Saves loads of time.

**White or Yellow Corn Meal can be substituted.