EveryDay Feasts from Portable Fare Menu

EveryDay Feasts recipes from the Portable Fare menu!

Find these and more culinary delights in "EveryDay Feasts" and The Junior League of Tampa's award-winning cookbook collection. Visit jltampa.org, or call (813) 254-1734. All net proceeds benefit Tampa Bay community charities, such as Children's Literacy and The Children's Cancer Center.

• Roasted Vegetable Soup

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 leeks

6 large tomatoes, sliced in half horizontally

2 large carrots, peeled cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 fresh garlic cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 quart chicken stock

Basil chiffonade to garnish

crostini or garlic toast

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the leeks in cold water. Cut off the roots and rough tops of each leek. Rinse in cold water to remove any remaining dirt. Cut the pale green and white parts of the leeks into 1/2- inch pieces. Place the tomatoes, cut side down, in a large roasting pan. Add the leeks, carrots and garlic. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes or until the carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to let the vegetables burn. Let stand until cool. Peel the tomatoes.

Combine the tomatoes with the roasted vegetables in large saucepan. Add the chicken stock and mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and puree in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with basil chiffonade and serve with crostini or garlic toast.

• Lemon Rice

Yields: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup white or basmati rice

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons), strained

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Method:

Cook the rice using the package directions. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt, mustard seeds and turmeric and cook until the mustard seeds "dance," stirring constantly. Combine with the rice and lemon juice in a serving bowl and mix well. Serve immediately.

• Grilled Chicken Brochettes

Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Pinch of salt

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes

Method:

Combine the olive oil, cumin, turmeric, and salt in a shallow dish and mix well. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Thread the chicken onto the skewers and discard the marinade. Grill over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until cooked through, turning once.

• Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Yield: 3 to 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate and macadamia nuts. Drop by 1/4 cups 2 inches apart onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 17 to 18 minutes or until light brown and set in the center. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

You may prepare the cookie dough in advance and refrigerate for several hours. Spoon 1/4 cups of the dough in single layers into resealable freezer bags and freeze until ready to bake. To bake, increase baking time by 2 to 3 minutes.

For a chocolate and white chocolate chunk version, add 3 ounces melted semisweet chocolate to the creamed mixture and 1/4 cup cocoa to the dry ingredients and substitute 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chunks for the milk chocolate and 8 ounces chopped white chocolate for the macadamia nuts.