Dinner starts on 12/31/14 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) Eastern. Winners will be chosen randomly Jan 6, 2015. Only those who comment on EVERY blog will be chosen for the drawing.
For full blog links visit http://zamaxfield.com/new-years-eve-progressive-dinner/
Welcome to my home… err blog. Come on in and make yourself comfortable.
Today I’m serving a simple tortellini and spinach soup and homemade bread. Beck and Timothy from Tangled Mind keep it simple in the kitchen, but Beck’s bread is famous among all his friends. Now that he and Timothy live together, they often eat several slices with this flavorful soup.
I envision them eating this meal naked in front of the fireplace, but that’s another tale.
So lets start with the bread recipe. Beck uses his KitchenAid stand mixer with the dough hook attachment so the process goes quicker. However, you can go the old fashioned way too, kneading by hand.
Beck’s Famous White Bread – Makes 3 loaves
1 package yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
dissolve in 1/2 cup warm water and let sit for 10 minutes
Beat in 1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup local honey
8 cups flour, adding it in cup by cup
Rest for 15 minutes, covered.
Knead 8-10 minutes then let rise in a greased bowl until dough has doubled (about 1 hour). Punch down and divide into three. Form into loaves. Allow to rise again, until doubled. Put in a cold oven.
Bake 400ºF for 15 minutes or 375º for 25 minutes.
This is great on its own, with butter, with honey butter, or with any meal.
Simple Tortellini & Spinach Soup
(with chicken, if you desire) – Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic, minced – I use 6 because I love garlic.
3 cups water
3 cups organic low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
3-5 carrots, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound of your choice of fresh or frozen tortellini
optional: Rotisserie chicken cut into bite sized morsels
1 pound fresh spinach with stems removed or shredded escarole
Parmesan cheese
In large stock pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add water, broth, carrots, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile in another pot, cook tortellini in salted water until nearly done: about 4 minutes for fresh or 12 for frozen. Drain.
Add chicken, if desired, and spinach, cooking about 1 minute, until the spinach is wilted and the chicken warmed. Stir in tortellini.
Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and serve with Beck’s Famous White Bread and butter.
You can “choose your own dinner adventure” from appetizers, soup, salad, main dish, and dessert, but those of you who visit and comment at each and every blog will be entered into a drawing for one of three (3) $35.00 gift cards to the venue of your choice: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or All Romance Ebooks.
Plus, some individual authors might include a private drawing for those people who stop by. I will offer an ebook of any of my books where food is a big deal, your choice. That includes Spark, Fusion, Flare, and Tangled Mind, and the first three come with several recipes in the back too. So read, drink and be merry! Happy New Year from all of us at the M/M Writers’ Buffet!
And don’t forget to comment at each blog for a chance to win.
Appetizers
Lynn Lorenz
Morticia Knight
KA Mitchell
Clare London
Stormy Glenn
Soups
Lou Harper
Alex Beecroft
Lou Silvre
Posy Roberts
Elin Gregory
Salads
Ava March
Poppy Dennison
Lee Rowan
Entreés
Rhys Ford
ZA Maxfield
LE Franks
KC Burn
Anne Tenino
EM Lynley
Dessert
Sounds delicious! But now, I’m hungry.
HI Posy, I was hoping someone would share a bread recipe to go with their soup! Starting with a cold oven, I wonder if that is the secret? Happy New Year! ardent(dot)ereader(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the yummy recipes and contest! Happy 2015!!
jen.f {at} mac {dot} com
This sounds delicious! Will have to give it a try. Happy New Year!
anamaribelcardenas@yahoo.com
Love the bread recipe…I may be baking later today. Thanks for sharing.
Waxapplelover (at) gmail (dot) com
I may try this soup with veggie stock.. we have some spinach. Sounds delicious. And I haven’t made bread in years.. thanks!
Author
Great idea. I’ve never tried veggie stock with this yet. Let me know how it turns out.
Thanks for the recipes. The bread sounds wonderful.
Dejamew@centurylink.net
Sounds delicious! I’m going to have to try it. Happy New Year!
More yummy cold-weather treats! I look forward to reading about Beck.
emmasmom69 AT gmail DOT com
Both recipes sound so good! Thank you!
juliesmall2016(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds delicious, especially with fresh bread.
Okay….now we’re talking my kind of soup!!! Read this one off to the hubby and he wants it!! Thank you for the awesome recipes for the soup and the bread.
cmucha319 AT yahoo DOT com
What a delicious soup and bread combo. The honey in the bread interested me quite a bit. I’ll have to try this recipe.
strive4bst(AT) yahoo(Dot) com
I love bread. I would chose fresh baked bread over chocolate. My husband usually makes a loaf of bread every 2 weeks. Thanks for the recipes. Have a Happy New Year
nisee1966@gmail.com
Freshly baked bread is fantastic. The soup will go nicely with it too. Thank you for sharing!
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
sounds very tasty 🙂
leetee2007(at)hotmail(dot)com
love fresh, baked bread
love fresh baked bread, I’m just not good at it. Thanks for sharing
What great recipes. I am ready for eating now.
debby236 at gmail dot com or hotmail
My grandma used to make bread for us. It was really good. Thanks for the recipes!:)
Homemade bread and spinach tortellini soup…I’d be in heaven if someone would make that for me right now. 🙂
Author
The soup is really easy. I’m not a fan of cooking, and I love making this soup. The bread is a bit more involved, but that’s why I used my KitchenAid. 😉 But yes, I’d rather have someone cook for me any day!
I bake a lot, but don’t do much bread for some reason. Both recipes sound excellent!
I love bread and a new bread recipe is always welcome! Thanks for the recipes!
jczlapin(at)gmail(dot)com
Nice recipes
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
How can you go wrong with soup & bread. Happy New Year!
I am a big fan of kneading by hand — I find it to be a good way to work off a little bit of the grumps (also I only have a tiny ridiculous hand mixer)… *saved for future reference*
tracykitn AT yahoo DOT com
Nothing beats good bread. saruby213ATgmailDOTcom
I am thinking this is a perfect bread making day and look, I got all the ingredients too 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
love2read28@gmail.com
First off, I loved this book. I’m actually in the process of trying different attachments for my mixed no more store brought ice cream!! LOL..
Thanks for the recipes Posy!
tamikamclaurin(at)hotmail(dot)com
I think I’ve found dinner for tonight.
I’d have to use 6 cloves too. I love garlic. But I’ve only managed to get to the Gilroy Garlic Festival once, even though it’s only an hour and a half away:(.
alishead1@yahoo.com
Garlic is also very good for you! This sounds like a great soup!
I’m definitely craving some freshly baked bread now!
Well I sure do love bread! Thanks for sharing!
OceanAkers @ aol.com