Tonight for dinner, Adam had requested Wild Rice soup, and I figured I would make a special warm dessert to go with it since he worked out in the cold and the wind today.
The soup was Ham Wild Rice Soup. It is so rich and creamy and tasty. The recipe is from my mom she found it and gave me and is a wonderful recipe. I always use Ham but you can use chicken instead, and you can add celery too if you like that. I prefer to serve it with some fresh bread and butter.
Wild Rice Soup
6 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1/2 c. flour
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 c. cooked wild rice
1/2 c. finely grated carrots
1/3 c. minced ham or 1/2 c. cooked chicken
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped silvered almonds
1 c. half and half
1/2 tsp. salt
Snipped parsely or chives for garnish
1) In a large saucepan, melt butter and saute onion until tender. Blend in flour and then gradually add broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
2) Stir in wild rice, carrots, ham (or chicken), almonds, and salt. Simmer about 5 minutes, blend in half and half and heat to serving temperature. If too thick, you may thin with chicken broth.
3) Garnish with snipped parslely or chives.
For dessert I found a recipe for bread pudding, I have never had homemade bread pudding but tried it tonight it was wonderful. I also made Vanilla sauce to top it with, the sauce didn't thicken all the way, but I don't think I boiled it long enough.
Bread Puddding (from allrecipes.com)INGREDIENTS
6 slices day-old bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.
Vanilla sauce (from allrecipes.com)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups water
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in the water, stirring until blended. Bring mixture to a boil and continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and mix in the butter and vanilla. Serve warm.
