An odd mix??

I'll just go ahead and admit that sometimes I may eat odd things together.  I am not a fussy eater, I just eat what I like and stay happy.  My husband says when we first met (in co-ed housing during my master's program) one night for dinner I had a bowl of cereal followed by crab sticks (the fake kind made out of fish, see how un-fancy I am) with fiery hot cocktail sauce.  I actually do remember that night, because the cocktail sauce was so good.  I like to add loads of horseradish and lemon juice to mine.  But I digress.  Here is what I made for dinner the other night, and it was delicious.

Cheesy Pepperoni Quick Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup quartered pepperoni slices, about 32 slices (I used salami)
     * I also added chopped black olives and sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray small bread pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper into the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, mix to combine.  Slowly add in eggs, oil, buttermilk, Parmesan, Mozzarella and pepperoni until just combined.  Pour half of batter into prepared bread pan that measures 9x5x2 3/4-inches.  Top evenly with marinara sauce then pour remaining batter over sauce.  Top with Italian seasoning and additional Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center.  Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan.  Slice and serve warm or room temperature.

With the pizza bread (it was wonderful by the way) I served up some asparagus soup.  I know, you are shaking your head at me and say, "What, ANOTHER asparagus recipe??"  But I have a good excuse, really I do.  I am a big proponent of not wasting food, and if I buy something, I will try to use it no matter what.  Well, I bought two bunches of asparagus last week, and one bunch went into the Asparagus & Pea Pasta I've already blogged about.  Well the second bunch just sat there looking more and more sad and wilty, until I felt it was only good enough for soup.  Thankfully, I LOVE asparagus soup.  Here is the recipe I used:

Fresh Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine asparagus, chopped onion, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until asparagus is tender, about 12 minutes. Process the mixture in a blender to puree the vegetables. Set aside.
2. In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining chicken broth, and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils. Stir in the asparagus purée and the milk.
3. Put the sour cream in a small bowl, and stir in a ladle-full of the hot soup. Add the sour cream mixture and the lemon juice to the soup. Stir while heating the soup to serving temperature, but don't allow it to boil. Serve immediately.