The Ospidillo Cafe House Soup Recipes

THE OSPIDILLO CAFE ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients in a mixer for 20 minutes. (I use a KitchenAid mixer on speed setting number 2).
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• When dressing gets too cold it will solidify somewhat, due to the olive oil, so allow it to set out 1/2 hour or so if this happens.
• Also, I prefer to use Tupelo honey when I have it available which is much higher quality in flavor than regular clover honey.
• For the Italian spices, I use 2 teaspoons of Dee514's Italian Blend Spice Mix Recipe #38293. Here it is:
• 2 tablespoons basil, 2 tablespoons marjoram, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes.

APPALACHIAN VEGETABLE-BEEF SOUP

Steps:

• Trim up your leftover steak, hamburger, beef roast or other lean beef and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
• In a large cooking pot, over medium-high heat, pour in the chicken broth and add all other ingredients, except for the canned potatoes.
• NOTE: I make my chicken broth while making up boiled chicken for my chicken pot pies, Recipe #139633. To the 1 gallon of water, (or canned chicken stock), I add 3-4 chicken bouillon cubes, 2 chopped celery ribs, 1 chopped onion and, 5-6 chopped carrots. I strain the stock and either refrigerate it or freeze it until I need it. You can de-fat the stock after it is cold.
• Heat the soup at a low boil (reduce to LOW heat after it comes to a boil), covered, for 1 hour. Drain the potatoes, cut into chunks, and add them into the soup. Continue at a low boil, covered, for 30 more minutes and serve with oyster crackers.
• If you make your own chicken broth per the above instructions, you probably won't need more salt because the bouillon has a lot of salt in it (unless you use Herb-ox granulated). Don't be afraid to add the bouillon to canned chicken stock -- it just makes it heartier!

HEARTY VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute carrots, onions, celery and green pepper until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. , Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf.

THE OSPIDILLO CAFE CRAB CHOWDER

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small sauté pan. Add the onions, stirring constantly over medium heat for 1 minute. Then whisk in the flour and continue stirring until onions begin to brown slightly and remove from heat. Set this roux aside.
• In a cooking pot over medium heat, pour in the chicken stock and add the potatoes. Boil, covered, until tender.
• When the potatoes are tender, mash them in the stock a bit and then add in the cabbage, carrots, parsley, kosher salt, oregano, the jalapeño slice, and seasoned salt. Bring it to a medium boil, covered and cook until carrots are just tender.
• After carrots are tender, add in the butter roux and stir, (The broth will thicken), then add the zucchini, cover, and allow it to cook at a low boil for 3 minutes.
• Next, add the crabmeat, the half and half, and the white pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow it to come to a low boil. Once it begins to boil again, remove the cover and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't scorch on the bottom.
• Serve hot.

CELERY AND PEANUT BUTTER

Steps:

• Clean the celery and cut into 4-inch lengths. (This is about three pieces per stalk).
• Spread peanut butter as to fill the "furrow" of the celery.
• Some people like the "crunchy" peanut butter.
• Serve to kids with an ice cold glass of 2% milk.

HOUND DOG CHILI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.
• Drain.
• Stir in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, pepper and cayenne.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until mix reaches desired thickness.
• Place hotdogs in buns and top each with about 2 T. beef mix.

BIG OL' MESS (SMOKED SAUSAGE IN SPICY SWEET SAUCE)

Steps:

• Make an aluminum foil bag. Use 2 12" x 18" sheets of heavy-duty foil (or double regular foil) and, (after the ingredients are in the bottom half), crimp the top half on.
• Put the sausage, green pepper and onions in the bottom half of the foil bag.
• Mix the Tabasco up with the sweet and sour sauce and pour it over the sausage mix. Seal the foil bag with the top half. Make sure it is "leak-proof".
• Place on the grill (gas or charcoal) and cook for a total of 45 minutes, turning after each 15 minutes.
• You can slit the bag open when done and serve from it at the campsite.
• If you are cooking this in the hot coals of a campfire, reduce the total cooking time by about 15 minutes and turn every 5 minutes.

MAMAW'S CREAMED TURKEY OVER TOAST

Steps:

• In a large no-stick skillet, begin heating the milk, margarine and chicken stock over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour right away, eliminating all lumps, and as it comes to a boil, it should thicken.
• Add the salt and pepper. (Black pepper is okay as a substitute).
• As it thickens, toss in the chopped turkey and stir carefully as to not break up the chunks too much.
• If it gets too thick, just add some milk and stir.
• As soon as the mix is thick enough to your liking, it is done. Turn off the heat and cover until serving.
• Serve over slices of toast or, make up some of your favorite biscuits instead.
• If you have some left-over turkey broth from the day before when the turkey was baked, use that instead of chicken stock.
• Note: the more dark meat, the better. It really adds to the flavor of this dish.

ULTIMATE GREAT NORTHERN BEANS

Steps:

• Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Make sure that there is twice as much water as beans because they will swell up.
• In a large cooking pot, pour in the cooking oil and toss in the smoked jowl pieces. Stir and allow them to sizzle over medium heat for 5 or 6 minutes. After they brown a bit, deglaze the pot with about 4 ounces of the chicken broth.
• Add the onion and allow to simmer until the onion is tender, stirring often.
• Rinse the beans in fresh water a final time and, after draining, add them, plus all the remaining ingredients into the pot. This should include the 48 ounces of water listed in the ingredients.
• Boil, covered, over low heat until beans are tender, stirring occasionally (about 2-3 hours).
• Serve with cornbread, fried potatoes, eggs and biscuits.
• If you wish, you can use chunks of ham or bacon instead of pork jowl.

CROCK POT HOLIDAY DRESSING

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions, celery, mushrooms and the parsley until tender but not browned.
• In a large mixing bowl, spoon the sauteed vegetables over the bread cubes and then add all the spices and herbs into the mix. Stir.
• Mix the beaten eggs with the chicken stock and add this to the mix a little at a time as you stir carefully. You may not need every bit of the stock-egg blend so be careful to not turn your dressing into soup. You should still be able to discern the bread cubes but they should be fairly wet.
• Transfer the mix into your crock pot (a large one is best) and cover.
• Cook on High for an hour and then reduce to the Low setting and allow it to cook for four to eight more hours until it reaches the consistency that you like.
• If you don't have the Paul Prudhomme seasoning you can use seasoned salt or, better yet, poultry seasoning.

LENTIL CHILI SOUP

Steps:

• Pour the vegetable oil into a large cooking pot or dutch oven. Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic until golden, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Cook uncovered until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
• Serve.

TOMATO DILL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until tender. Stir in the tomatoes and condensed chicken broth, and season with dill weed, salt, pepper and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf. Use a food processor or blender to puree the soup in small batches until smooth. Serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.

WHITE SAUCE SHRIMP-SPINACH LASAGNE

Steps:

• Have the cooked pasta ready for use. Pre-heat the oven to 375-degrees F.
• In a large no-stick skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and add in the olive oil along with the chopped garlic. Pour about 2/3 of this blend into a bowl and set aside. Continuing to carefully stir over the medium heat, add in the onion, mushrooms and minced jalapeno and allow the mix to tenderize, (about 6 minutes).
• Remove the vegetable blend from the skillet, re-add the reserved melted butter blend and add in the shrimp. Sprinkle the Old Bay seasoning over the shrimp. Sautee over medium heat for 6 minutes, stirring ocassionally. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. (You can discard the butter blend or save it for use in another dish).
• Set up a double boiler with 3 cups of water in the bottom section over high heat. In the top (dry) section, melt the 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter and add in the pre-warmed milk. As it begins to yield a little steam, whisk in the white pepper and the minced garlic. When it comes to a boil, whisk in the flour and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Allow the blend to continue at a low boil (adjust temperature if necessary), whisking with great frequency, for 15 minutes. If it gets too thick, add more pre-warmed milk, 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency is achieved. (You want it about as thick as pancake batter.) At the end of the 15 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
• Spray a 9" x 13", or larger, casserole dish with the cooking spray. Lay in 1/3 of the white sauce and make sure that most of the bottom is covered. Then, lay in just a little more than half of the pasta, (about 60%). Cover the pasta with all the cottage cheese. Next, spread the spinach all over the top.
• Layer the remaining pasta evenly across the top. Next, evenly distribute the remaining white sauce all over the pasta. Lay the cooked shrimp evenly across the white sauce and then distribute the onion-mushroom-jalapeno mix across the dish. Top this with all the Monterey Jack Cheese and the Asiago chees, and then finish by sprinkling the dried parsley across the top, just as a sort of garnish.
• In the oven, pre-heated to 375-degrees F., place the dish on the middle rack, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes. At the end of the 30 minutes, change the setting to BROIL, move the rack up to one below the top one, and broil the dish just until there is some light browning across the top (about 2-3 minutes). WATCH THIS CAREFULLY as it will burn quickly! Remove from oven when the top is lightly browned.
• Allow the dish to "rest" for about 10 minutes prior to cutting into serving sizes. Serve with hot, fresh garlic bread, buttered Parker House Rolls, or with Texas Toast.

PAT'S BEST 'TATER SALAD (POTATO SALAD)

Steps:

• After boiling the potatoes (do not overcook!), rinse them in cold water and place them in the refrigerator for an hour.
• Once the boiled potatoes have cooled in the refrigerator, scrape off the peelings with a paring knife and, using a filet knife or other thin-bladed knife, cut the potatoes into crouton-sized cubes.
• Halve the eggs and remove the yolks. Roughly chop the whites and set them aside. Mash the egg yolks in the mixing bowl until there are no lumps, then add the mustard and salad dressings. Stir until smooth.
• Put the potato cubes in a large mixing bowl and add the chopped egg whites, the yolk mixture and all other ingredients except for the paprika, saving the mayonnaise as the final addition. While adding the mayonnaise in last, stir carefully and slowly until the salad is well blended. Too much mayonnaise can make the potato salad runny -- if you don't need all the mayonnaise, then stop when you have a good blend.
• Transfer the potato salad to an adequate serving bowl and sprinkle the paprika over the top as a garnish. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours prior to serving.
• NOTE: I do prefer to use Heinz mustard but any regular yellow mustard will do. Also, Yukon Gold potatoes can be substituted.

DORSEL'S GOETTA VARIATION NO. 2 (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• Blend the ground meat. Set aside.
• In a crock pot, combine water, salt and pepper. Cook on high (covered) for 20 minutes then stir in oatmeal. Cover and cook on high for 90 more minutes.
• Add meat and savory seasoning at the end of the 90 minutes -- blend well. Cover and cook on low for 3 more hours.
• At the end of the 3 hours, if the goetta is not thick enough, cook it a little longer, stirring often.
• Pour into bread pans, cover with cling wrap, and place in refrigerator. It will keep for days.
• When you're ready to eat it, slice the loaf of goetta and put it into a skillet with the bacon fat. Fry over medium heat until it is well browned, turning once.
• Serve.
• NOTE: A good friend of mine who makes this all the time use 16 cups of water for this recipe, which is double the recommendation, so don't be afraid to use more than 8 cups if it seems to need it before the cooking time is up. Also, good sausage can be substituted for the ground pork, if you wish.

HOT DR. PEPPER

Steps:

• Pour the Dr. Pepper into a medium saucepan and heat to about 180-degrees F. (The carbonation will make it look like it's boiling but you can ignore this if you use a thermometer).
• Pour the hot Dr. Pepper into a crystal tumbler and drop in the lemon slices.
• Enjoy!

OSPIDILLO CAFE HOT DOG CHILI SAUCE NO. 13

Steps:

• Using about three cups of water in a small pan, boil the sausage for a few minutes until it is broken up. Drain, using a colander, and put the sausage and the 1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning into a food processor and pulse it until it is of a fine consistency.
• Combine all ingredients, including the sausage, into a large cooking pot on medium heat and bring to a boil. (If you can't find Dale's Steak Seasoning, use 2 teaspoons of soy and one additional teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce). Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer, covered, for two hours, stirring often.
• At the end of the 2 hours, remove the bay leaves and any pieces of garlic you can find, and serve over hot dogs or footers with mustard and finely diced onions.

DELECTABLE BAKED ORANGE ROUGHY

Steps:

• Pull off four sheets of good quality aluminum foil, each about 24 inches long. Double each one over so it's a foot long and spray with the cooking spray.
• Pre-heat the oven to 375-degrees F.
• Lay out a fillet on each sheet of foil and pull the sides up a bit so that it will hold liquid.
• Squeeze a half lemon over each fillet. Cut up the spent lemons into wedges and put the pieces around the fish.
• Pour the melted butter equally over each fillet. Lightly dust the top of each fillet with the paprika. Instead of paprika, you could substitute Old Bay Seasoning, which yields an excellent flavor. In any case, you may not need all the spice, depending on the size of your fillets.
• Close the foil and make a seal. Place the closed foil bowls into the oven, middle rack, and bake for 15 minutes.
• Revove the foil bowls from the oven, carefully open them to expose the filets and place them all on a sheet pan. Re-set the oven to "broil" (on "high" if there is a setting), and return the fish to the oven just above the middle rack. Broil for just a few minutes until you see very slight browning, no more than 5 minutes.
• Garnish with the parsley sprigs and serve hot with basmati rice on the side. (See: Recipe #217802 ). You can just leave the fish on the foil and place it on serving plates if you wish.

LINDA'S ITALIAN SALAD WITH SPICY ITALIAN DRESSING

Steps:

• Salad:.
• Add greens to a lg. salad bowl. Mix well.
• Add peppers, onions, artichokes, pepperocini peppers, tomatoes and black olives. Mix well with salad forks or with your hands.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Make dressing.
• Makes 8 servings.
• Dressing:.
• Mix oil, vinegar, sugar, thyme, dry mustard and garlic together well in a bowl with a whisk.
• Add to salad mix right before serving, and mix well with salad forks.
• Add Parmigiano Reggiano, if using.
• Top with croutons, and serve.

CAROL'S BROWNIE DROPS (CHOCOLATE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Melt chocolate and butter over hot water. Cool.
• Beat eggs in mixer until foamy, (using a Kitchen Aide, use the regulat mixer, not the whisk), then add the sugar, two tablespoons at a time (it's 12 tablespoons, converted).
• Beat in mixer until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
• Blend in chocolate.
• Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
• Stir in vanilla and nuts.
• Using a regular cereal spoon (about 2/3 of a tablespoon in quantity), drop the mix balls on to a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should feel "set" when done.
• Cool slightly on sheet before storing/eating.

HAROLD'S FLORENTINE SALAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Split all ingredients in half (have them ready at hand) and make half a batch at a time.
• Pour the lemon juice and garlic powder in the Kitchen-aide mixing bowl and, with the wire whip attachement, blend on setting #2 until the powder is completely dissolved, (about 5 minutes).
• Add the onions (and any juice), cayenne pepper, sugar, and salt. Blend on setting #2 for at least 20 minutes. Gradually add the oil as it is blending and continue to mix for the full 20 minutes (30 is better).
• In a large container, mix the two batches of dressing together. Stir continually as you bottle the dressing in smaller containers.
• Refrigerate until use -- always serve very cold on chilled salads.