Soup & Dessert recipes from my book club

Every February (this is the third year), our book club hosts a soup night.  The following are some of the recipes that were made. Everything was delicious.

Tamee made a Maryland Crab Soup:

Here's the link: https://www.mccormick.com/old-bay/recipes/soups-stews/maryland-crab-soup  

Tamee stated small cut-up potatoes can be added. Doubling it will fill a crockpot to its brim.

Donna made red lentil soup:

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

4 medium carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
14 ounces vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup dried red lentils
1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach

Directions

In a 4 quart saucepan, cook carrots and onion in oil 6-8 minutes until light brown and tender. Add cumin and cook, while stirring, one more minute. Add tomatoes, broth, lentils, 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Heat to boiling, then simmer for 10 minutes or until lentils are done. Add spinach and serve.

Notes

To reduce sodium, use no salt added tomatoes, low sodium broth and/ or omit salt.

Donna's comments:  I used low sodium broth, regular tomatoes and omitted the salt from this evening’s soup.

Desserts:

Cheryl O made a blueberry cobbler: 

https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/wprm_print/crockpot-blueberry-cobbler

She substituted wheat flour for all purpose flour and used monk fruit in the raw zero calorie sugar substitute instead of regular sugar.

Candy made a gingerbread with a lemon curd.

https://sugarspunrun.com/gingerbread/

https://sugarspunrun.com/lemon-curd-recipe/

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Friends of ours invited us over for dinner, along with some other friends. Mike made an excellent Hungarian pork and sauerkraut goulash (https://www.craftycookingmama.com/pork-and-sauerkraut-goulash-szekelygulyas-hungarian-goulash/  Note that he did not include the green bell pepper).  

I found this recipe, which I would go very well with the main dish: 

https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/creamy-cucumber-salad/
 

It was a hit! Everyone loved this salad.

Ingredients
  
1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 large English cucumbers thinly sliced
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
 
Instructions
 
In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, vinegar, dill sugar, and garlic powder until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
 
Add the sliced cucumbers and red onions on top of the sour cream dressing and stir to coat.
Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for one hour before serving.
 
My Notes:
 
I made this 24 January 2025.
 
I used 3 cucumbers, placed on paper towels, salted, and covered to release excess water.
 

I soaked the sliced onions in ice cold water for 15-20 minutes.

I made this for eight people. There was just a small amount leftover. 

 
Serves 6 to 8.

Mykonos Cheese Dip

This is one of my favorite recipes. I've been making this since 1987. I don't remember where I got the recipe. 

Serves 8-10 people.

Ingredients

1 large clove of garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 lb. Feta cheese, crumbled (include the liquid)
1 cup sour cream
1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped
1 Tablespoon of drained capers
Pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot pepper sauce (optional)

Pita bread or crackers to serve
 
Directions

Blend the first 3 ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Chill.

My Notes:

It's better if prepared the night before so that the flavor of the garlic comes out.

Drizzle a little olive oil on top once finished.

Vinegar Coleslaw

I made this today for my book club. We always have a delicious spread of foods. Just coming out of the holidays, I wanted something healthy, as it does not contain any mayonnaise. 

This is the recipe I followed.
 
https://downshiftology.com/recipes/vinegar-coleslaw-no-mayo/
 
 
Prep Time 20 minutes 
Total Time 20 minutes 
 
Servings: 12 servings
 
Ingredients
 
1 head of green cabbage finely shredded
1 large carrot grated
1/2 yellow or red onion finely sliced
 
Dressing
 
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey (or more, depending on sweetness)
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
 
Instructions
 
Add the shredded green cabbage, carrot and onion to a large bowl.
 
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, celery seed, salt and pepper to create the dressing. Taste the dressing and decide if you'd like to add more honey.
 
Add about half of the dressing to the cabbage, onions and carrots and gently toss. Slowly add more dressing until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

My Notes:

The first three ingredients I eye-balled. I had a very large head of cabbage, so I just used half.

I used half of a small red onion.

I used the entire dressing in the salad.

The recipe states this can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. 

Cookie Exchange Recipes

 
Here’s a list of links to the cookies that were made for our cookie exchange (16 December 2024) and the names of those that made them. 

Note: All rights are reserved to the original author who created these recipes.

 
Monica: https://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2024/12/cool-whip-cookies.html
 
Monica: https://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2022/12/chocolate-espresso-cookie.html
 
Maria: https://noplatelikehome.com/italian-anise-cookies/
 

Cool Whip Cookies

For a Christmas cookie exchange party, I made two recipes. One was my favorite chocolate espresso cookies and these cool whip cookies.

I followed this recipe: https://temeculablogs.com/cool-whip-cookies/

The recipe stated it makes 24 servings (form into 1 inch balls of dough), but I ended up with 48 cookies! 

They were very easy to make. I placed into the oven one pan at a time, while keeping the rest of the dough in the refrigerator between baking to keep the dough cold.

It was suggested to bake them for 8 to 10 minutes, but I ended up baking them for about 14-15 minutes. I'm not sure if it was my oven or if the dough was too cold. Make sure the top of the cookies are not still wet. 

Cool completely before storing them in an air tight container.

I used a ginger bread cake mix. They came out great!

Ingredients

1 box of cake mix [any flavor that you like]

1 tub cool whip, whipped topping, 8 oz. (I used extra creamy)

1 egg

1 c powdered sugar

Instructions 
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, Cool Whip, and egg. Stir well until a sticky dough forms; this will take a few minutes of stirring. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 30 min – 1 hour to stiffen up a bit – optional step.

Pour the powdered sugar out onto a plate [I used a bowl]. Use a cookie scoop or melon baller [I used a teaspoon] to create 1-inch balls of dough and drop them on to the plate of powdered sugar a few at a time.
Roll the balls in the powdered sugar then place them on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 1 ½ inches of space between each cookie dough balls.
Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes until cracking on the edges and middle is no longer wet. I like a really chewy outcome so 8 minutes is best for us because as they cool they will stiffen up a bit but still maintain a really really soft consistency in the center. For stiffer bake for 10 min.
Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets to stiffen up, enjoy once cooled.
[Once cooled, store in an air-tight container].

Cranberry Brie Bites

I made these delicious cranberry brie bites for my bookclub: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a56610/cranberry-brie-bites-recipe/

I used a cranberry-apricot relish that I make for Thanksgiving. Since it freezes well, I put half into the freezer for the next year. (Recipe below).

Ingredients

1 (8-oz.) tube crescent dough
Cooking spray
All-purpose flour, for surface
1 (8-oz.) wheel of brie [chilled in the refrigerator for easy cutting]
1/2 c. whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 c.  chopped roasted unsalted pecans
6  sprigs fresh rosemary, cut into 1" pieces.
 

Directions

 
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a mini (24-cup) muffin tin with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough and pinch together seams. Cut into 24 squares [using a pizza cutter makes it easy to cut]. Place squares into prepared cups.
 
Cut brie into small pieces and place inside dough. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, pecans, and one piece of rosemary.
 
Bake bites until pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Check at 8 minutes.
 

My Notes: 

I put about a half teaspoon into the cups. 

I didn't need to pinch the seams together when I rolled out the dough. 

I cut the pecans into smaller pieces. 

Recipe for the relish: https://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2008/05/cranberry-apricot-relish.html

 

Ricotta Cheese Ravioli with Lemon Slices

When Tony and I were on a cruise this past October 2024, one of our ports was the beautiful town of Amalfi. Our morning started with a tour to a nearby grotto, which was beautiful. Later we explored the town.
 
For lunch, we ate at Rosticceria La Galea. I had the most amazing ricotta ravioli with a lemon flavor: RAVIOLI ALLO SFUSATO AMALFITAN, Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese, local Amalfi lemon, with Datterini cherry tomatoes, shrimps and rocket. 

Datterini means “little dates”, elongated small tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are a good substitute. 
 
While there were lots of other delicious dishes to choose from on the menu, I decided to try this ravioli dish since it was so appropriate being in the land of lemons.
 
There are many variations of lemon ravioli recipes online, some with lemon juice and others with a combination of lemon juice and lemon zest.  I wanted to duplicate what I ate, so this is my creation.
 
Serves 2
 
4 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz. cherry tomatoes cut in half
4 T tomato sauce
Salt to taste
A few turns of the black pepper mill
Ricotta Stuffed  Ravioli, enough for two servings
1 lemon, peeled into strips and thinly sliced
6-7 large shrimp, peeled and diced into large pieces
1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
5-6 Basil leaves, julienned
Arugula

Instructions:
 
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the ravioli for 3-4 minutes. Drain and reserve 1 cups of water. 

I cooked 20 raviolis and had some leftovers

Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon slices, cherry tomatoes, stirring to combine, then add the tomato sauce. Cook on low.  With a wooden spoon, gently smash the tomatoes to let out the juices.

While the ravioli is cooking, add the shrimp to skillet and cook until they are no longer opaque. This will be about the same time the ravioli is done.

 
 Add the drained ravioli, about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, and 1/4 parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. You want the sauce to have a ‘soupy’ consistency, so adjust as needed. Add half of the basil and stir to combine.

 

Plate the food and top with fresh arugula, more basil and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

 
My Notes:
 
The ravioli that I had at the restaurant did not have lemon zest as part of the filling, just a regular ricotta filling. The thinly sliced lemon peel is what brought out the lemon flavor. It may have had some lemon juice in the tomato sauce. At Trader Joe’s, I found Ricotta and Lemon Zest Ravioli and used for this recipe.
 
Next time I may add a squeeze of lemon juice to really brighten up the dish.
 
For a variety, I may add some crushed pepper flakes.
 
Next time I will stir in half of the arugula in the skillet and will finish with fresh arugula.

New York Deli Tuna Salad

I made this delicious tuna salad for a dinner party.  I followed this recipe:

https://www.sipandfeast.com/new-york-deli-tuna-salad/

New York Deli Tuna Salad

Prep: 10 minutes 

Total: 20 minutes 
Servings: 4
 
This classic New York deli style tuna salad is so easy to make and is perfect for sandwiches, salads, or even by itself.
 
Ingredients 
 
4 5-ounce cans solid water-packed tuna - well drained
1/2 cup (35g) onion - finely diced
1/2 cup (35g) celery - finely diced
1 teaspoon celery salt
2 tablespoons sweet relish
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/4 cups (300g) mayonnaise - plus more as needed
salt and pepper - to taste
 
Instructions 
 
Drain the tuna cans of their water as much as possible.
 
Place the tuna, celery, and onion into a large bowl and thoroughly mix in the relish, celery salt, and soy sauce and let sit for 10 minutes before adding the mayo.
 
Add the mayonnaise and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
 
The next day, strain the tuna of all the accumulated water. Add more mayo as required and serve. Enjoy!
 
Notes
 
It is recommended to refrigerate overnight. The flavor will be much better and the tuna salad can be thoroughly drained to remove excess water.
 
Pieces of white bread or crushed crackers can be used to dry up the tuna after draining and remixing the next day.
 
Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days.
 
(FOR THE TUNA MELT rye bread sliced tomato American or Swiss cheese)
 

My Notes:
 
The video for this recipe stated to mash the tuna so there are no big chunks, but flaky. I shredded finely by hand.

 
I used celery seed instead of celery salt.
 
I used 4 cans that I purchased at Costco. I didn’t think about the larger size cans (7 oz vs 5 oz) so I had to increase the measurements of the other ingredients. I did so by taste and texture.
 
I added some lemon juice and Dijon mustard.
 
I did not add any sweet relish. I'm not a fan of sweet relish. 

This made a very large batch and I have leftovers. I'll remember to  use the 5 oz cans the next time I make this. 

I provided mini rolls for sandwiches.

 

German Potato Salad

 

I followed this recipe but did some slight changes:  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/83097/authentic-german-potato-salad/

 
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 4
 
Ingredients
 

3 cups diced peeled potatoes

4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
¼ cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 ½ tablespoons white sugar, or more to taste
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions
 
Gather the ingredients.
 
Place potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover by at least 1 to 2 inches; bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside to cool.
 

While the potatoes are cooking, place bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and crumble when cool enough to handle. Leave bacon grease in the skillet.
 
Cook onion in the bacon grease over medium heat until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add vinegar, sugar, water, salt, and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil.
 

 Onions cooking in the bacon drippings

Once boiling, add potatoes, and 1/2 of the crumbled bacon. Cook until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
 

     

Transfer warm potato salad to a serving dish and sprinkle remaining bacon over top. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

  

My Notes:

 
I made this for a large party (around 50 people) so I doubled the recipe. I could have tripled the recipe and still wouldn’t have enough. This went quickly!!!
 
I used red potatoes, skin on, and boiled them for 10 minutes. Next time, I’ll boil them for 8 minutes.
 
I used 2 T sugar, which was the right amount IMHO.

I added 2 t. of Dijon mustard. I added some chopped chives (about 1.5 T). I saw these two ingredients listed in other German potato salad recipes.

 
For the bacon (thick cut), I used a large Dutch oven since I don’t have a deep skillet. I cut the bacon into thirds and cooked them in two batches. Once cooled, I cut them into pieces instead of crumbling them. 
 
I placed the vinegar, sugar, water, salt, pepper and Dijon in a measuring cup, stirring to combine, and then poured all of it into the Dutch oven.
 
This is definitely a keeper!

Creamy Potato Salad

For my community monthly cookbook dinner, I made this tasty potato salad. This was back in March 2024. This is from the "Recipes for all the Food You Want to Eat" by Chrissy Teigen.

 

Pork Fried Rice

6 June 2022: I made fried rice for a large party (about 50-55 people).
 
I had cooked pork that I defrosted and I wanted to marinade it to add some extra flavor. I looked up Char Siu recipes (Chinese BBQ pork). I didn’t have everything on hand, so I just created my own marinade with what I had on hand. No, it’s nothing like a Char Sui marinade but it came out great. 

Fried Rice
 
1/2 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups day old cooked rice
12 oz. frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans) defrosted and drained of any liquid
5 eggs, scrambled
Cooked pork, diced
*Sesame oil
*Soy Sauce
*Teriyaki sauce
Scallions
 
*Marinade
 
A little sugar
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Teriyaki sauce
Carolina Q’ Eastern NC Vinegar Sauce
Some minced garlic
White wine
Salt and pepper

*No measurements – I just added a little at a time until I was satisfied with the flavors.

 
A few hours before making the fried rice, combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour over the chopped pork. Stir to combine and place in the refrigerator. Note that I just added some of each marinade ingredient in until I was happy with the flavor of the marinade.

In a large sauté pan, heat a little oil and cook the eggs, breaking them into small pieces as you go. Transfer the eggs to a plate and set aside.

 
Cook the onions and garlic in the pan until translucent.  Add the mixed vegetable and pork. Cook until warmed through.
 
In a large pot over medium high heat, add a little oil to coat the bottom and add the rice. Add the vegetable and pork mixture.  Add some soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Stir to combine and continue sautéing the rice, stirring every 15-20 seconds or so for a few minutes, or until the rice and vegetable start to brown slightly. 
 
Add the scrambled eggs and green onions and stir to combine.  Remove from heat and serve. Since the party was at a friends house, I placed the rice in my instant pot and placed it on "Keep Warm". 
 
With the exception of about 1/2 cup of rice, it all got eaten.

20 August 2024

I made this again last night for a smaller group dinner. 

Using the recipe above, I also added some shrimp.

I purchased a pork tenderloin, which I made a marinade (again, no measurements, just by taste) and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.  

While I baked the pork (360 degrees, baked uncovered until the inside of the pork hit 140 degrees, about 35 minutes), I placed about a dozen large shrimp in the marinade for a few hours; then cooked on medium high heat with some olive oil.  Once cooled down enough to handle, I diced the shrimp.

White Bean Salad with Valencia Oranges & Celery

I made this recipe yesterday for a cookbook club dinner. Everyone in the group selected a salad from America's Test Kitchen the complete SALAD cookbook.

Serves 6
 
Ingredients
 
1/3 cup Olive oil, extra virgin
4 Garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Table salt for steeping beans
3 (15-ounce) cans Cannellini beans or small white beans, rinsed
1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
1 Shallot
2 Valencia or navel oranges
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
 
Directions
 
Heat 1 T oil and garlic in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
 
Add 2 cups water and 1 t salt and bring to a simmer. Off heat, add beans, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.
 
Combine vinegar and shallot in large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
 
Cut away peel and pith from oranges. Holding fruit over bowl, use a paring knife to slice between membranes to release segments.
 
Drain beans and discard garlic. Add beans, oranges, celery, parsley, and remaining oil to shallot mixture and toss until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit until flavors meld, about 20 minutes. Serve.
 
My Notes:
 
I chopped up some of the cooked garlic into the salad.
 
This tastes even better the next day.
 
Next time I will use cilantro. Also, the 1/2 cup of parsley overwhelmed the salad.
 
Cutting between the orange segments was quite messy. I used naval oranges.

Herb Lemon White Bean Salad

I made this delicious salad for the 4th of July today.  I followed this recipe: 

https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/herb-lemon-white-bean-salad/

Ingredients

5 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic pressed
1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t black pepper
2 15oz cans of cannellini beans rinsed and drained
1/4 c chopped parsley
1/4 c finely chopped red onion
1 T minced fresh rosemary
 
Instructions 
 
In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
 
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Try to let the salad sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, to let the flavors meld together.

My notes: 

I made the recipe using three cans of beans and adjusted the other ingredients.

I added 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, quartered.

I minced the garlic instead of pressing it. 

I made this 5 hours in advance to allow the flavors really come together.

Rosemary Focaccia

This is a recipe from the Stanley Tucci cookbook. I made this as a trial run for my cookbook dinner for next week.

Ingredients
 
1 package dry yeast
2 ¼ teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c bread flour
4 t kosher salt [divided]
1 c milk
5 T oil, plus more for oiling the bowl
Leaves from one 5-inch fresh rosemary
 
Directions
 
In a measuring cup, stir the yeast, sugar and warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
 
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the all-purpose and bread flours with 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir in the yeast mixture. Gradually stir in the milk and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix at low speed until the dough has come together and is smooth, about 5 minutes.
 
(To mix by hand: Combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour and the 2 teaspoons of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of these dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture. Mix with a fork while adding the milk and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to form a soft, dry dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and continue mixing it with your hands. Knead until the dough has come together and is smooth, about 8 minutes.)
 
Lightly grease a bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and drape a dish towel over the bowl. Set aside in a warm place and allow to double in size, about 2 hours.
 
Lightly grease a large baking sheet (about 9 x 15-inch). Gently punch down the dough. Place it on a baking sheet and roll it out to fit evenly on the sheet. Cover with a dish towel and the dough to rise for 20 minutes.
 
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
 
Use your fingertips to make random indentations in the dough. Drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt and the rosemary leaves. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving warm.
 
Variations
 
Before baking, top the focaccia with any combination of the following ingredients:  1/4 inch thick slices ripe plum tomatoes, 24 pitted Kalamata olives, 1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onion, 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese; 1/4 inch thick slices peeled eggplant; 1/4 inch  thick slices zucchini; 1/4 inch thick slices peppers; 1/3 cup pesto.
 
For a sweet variation on this recipe, gently 1 cup dried fruit such as raisins, cherries or blueberries, or 1 cup chocolate chips; into the rolled and risen focaccia. Brush with 3 tablespoons melted butter and bake.
  

  

  

  

My Notes
 
I mixed by hand, as I didn't have an electric mixer.

The dough more than doubled the size. Next time check at 1 hour 40 minutes.
 
I used a 10 x 15 baking sheet.
 
I used a teaspoon of kosher salt on the top.
 
I added Kalamata olives and red onions with the rosemary.  Next time I won’t slice the onions so thinly.
 
Next time I’ll check the bread in the oven at 20 minutes. I looked through the oven door and it didn’t seem baked long enough. It came out a little more than golden brown, but it came out very good.
 
I served with some olive oil for dipping.

26 June 2024:

I made this again for tonight's cookbook dinner. I added sliced cherry tomatoes along with red onion, Kalamata olives and rosemary. It came out great.