It is fall - time for soup - comfort soup

This recipe is adapted from what Sonia gave to Matt after she had a fabulous soup she loved in Portugal. Knowing Matt's love off all things potato....


sautee in olive oil:
chopped onion, celery and carrots (it matters not how much, I recommend more onion than celery)
salt and pepper

when softened, cover with water (or chicken broth/stock)
and add peeled, chopped potato (2-3 potatoes per onion)

bring all to simmer and take off the heat when the potatoes are tender.

then blend/puree (using handblender is easier, but you could stick this in a blender)

put back on heat and add water/ broth to your desired consistency
then add veg of your choice:
chopped celery and carrots
chopped kale or other milder green - spinach, collards

season with salt, pepper and fresh chopped basil.

Serve with bread, cheese, wine, beer...yummy

Grandmom's Famous Pinwheel Cookies

This is our absolute favorite Christmas cookie!
Sift together: 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt
Cream: 1/2 c butter adding 1 cup light brown sugar and beating until fluffy
Add: 1 unbeaten egg and 1 tsp vanilla
Blend in: dry ingredients
Roll out half dough on floured surface to 10" x 8" rectangle
Spread with half filling.
Roll up starting at 10" side. Wrap in waxed paper.
Repeat with second half.
Chill rolls two hours.
Slice and bake 400 degrees for 8-10 min. on lightly greased cookie sheet.
Watch carefully!

Chocolate filling: melt 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate bits; add 1 c. finely chopped walnuts

**edited on 12/10 by HM to include the egg and vanilla that was accidentally left out :)

Grandmom's Crab Imperial Casserole

At Karen's request, who during her yellow phase (@age two or three), agreed this qualified as "yellow" food...

1 lb backfin Maryland crabmeat
4 Tblsp butter
1/4 c chopped fresh green pepper
1 egg
1 Tblsp wet mustard
1 Tblsp dry mustard
2 heaping Tblsp mayonnaise
3 Tblsp cream or milk
1 Tblsp parsley
1 small jar pimientos
More mayonnaise for topping

Saute green pepper in butter.
Beat together egg, mustards, mayonnaise, cream.
Add crab meat and parsley.
Put in casserole dish.
Spread additional mayonnaise on top.
Do not cover. Bake 350 degrees or until it bubbles!

Stuffed Cabbage

This was my gram's recipe. Total comfort food. You can substitute ground chicken or turkey for the ground beef for a slightly 'healthier' version.

2 Medium size heads of cabbage
2 lb ground beef (or turkey or chicken)
1 lb ground mild sausage
1 Medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 Medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 Cup uncooked white rice
16 oz. can tomato sauce (I double this because I like a lot of sauce)
1/4 cup hot water
2 cups hot water

Mix meats with all ingredients but cabbage, tomato sauce and 2 cups hot water. Set aside. Core cabbage. Scald cabbage in boiling water 3-5 minutes taking care not to over cook. Trim the thick membranes from the leaves.
Cover the bottom of the roasting pan with loose cabbage and 2 cups of hot water. Make rolls with the leaves and meat mixture. Layer rolls, covering each layer with sauce. Finish with sauce. You may need to add more sauce. Bake covered 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Check often to keep from drying out. You may add hot water or tomato juice if needed.

Split pea soup with fresh peas and potatoes

A great use of leftover Easter ham...for a very cold April!

This recipie is from Mothering magazine. It has become a family favorite for 3 out of 4 of us.

This makes 4 servings, but I double or tripple it to freeze for later.

1 Cup green rinsed split green peas (you can soak them 4-6 hours but I never do)
1T. butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 t. sea salt
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 small red potatoes, cubed
1 t. cumin powder
black pepper, freshly ground (1-2 turns)
4 C. water or vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 large bay leaf
1 small ham bone
2 teaspoons apple-cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1-2 t. fresh dill or 1/2 t. dried

Soak split peas 4-6 hours in 4 C of water or stock. (I don't do this as I usually decide at the last minute what to make for dinner...it turns out just as good as soaking them)

Heat fat in a pressure cooker or soup pot. Add onions and salt and saute until onions begin to soften. Add celery, carrot, potatoes, cumin, and pepper; saute an additional 5-7 minutes. Add split peas, water or stock, and bay leaf. Add ham bone and vinegar. If pressure-cooking: bring up to pressure on high heat, then lower heat and cook 40 minutes. If using soup pot: bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 60-90 minutes. Once split peas have softened and the soup has become creamy, remove ham bone. Cut off any mean, discard skin and bone, dice meat into small pieces, and add to soup with fresh or frozen peas and dill. Check seasonings; add more salt and pepper if needed. Continue cooking a few minutes until peas are tender. Soup is ready to serve.

I serve with a few peas on top and a sprinkle of dried dill

Prep time: 50 minutes (pressure cooker) 1 3/4 hours (soup pot)

Eggy Bread for Easter

1 pkg active dry yeast ( 1/4 c warm water)
1/2 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c margarine
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 slightly beaten egg
icing and candy decorations

Soften yeast in 1/4 c warm water (110 degrees).
Heat milk, sugar, margarine, and salt unitl sugar dissolves.
Stir in 1 c flour; beat smooth.
Add softened yeast and egg; beat well.
Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Knead on lightly floured surface till smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes).
Place in a greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in warm place till double (about 1 hour).
Punch dough down; divide in half. cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Shape dough into egg shaped balls; place in well greased baking pan(s). Pie pans work great!
Cover; let rise in warm place until double (about 1 hour). Makes 12-16 rolls depending on size.
Bake 375 degrees @20-25 minutes. Cool completely and decorate!

This is one of our Easter favorites! When there is time, each "egg" can be individually decorated with piped on buttercream icing. When there isn't, just glaze and sprinkle with candies! Pretty and yummy! hugs and blessing Mom LBB

Secret Ingredient Corned Beef and Cabbage

2 medium onions sliced
2-3 lbs corned beef brisket
1 cup apple juice (the secret ingredient!)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp orange peel finely shredded
2 tsp prepared mustard
6 whole cloves
6 cabbage wedges

Place onions in crockpot. Trim away any fat that might be present on the brisket. If needed, cut brisket to fit into crockpot;place on top of onions. In a bowl, combine apple juice, sugar, orange peel, mustard, and cloves; pour over brisket. Put cabbage wedges on top. Cover; cook on low setting for 10-12 hours or high setting 5-6 hours. Keep the lid on to reduce odors and burn scented candles!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! When my girls were little, I placed a path of cut-out shamrocks from the bedrooms to the kitchen. When they awoke, they would follow the path to discover that the "leprechaun" had turned the kitchen chairs and table upside down. Even the table was set all mixed up with oversize spoons and forks. There was a note from the leprechaun that had to be read in a mirror. Their Dad contributed to the festivities by making green shamrock pancakes.

I don't think I cooked corned beef more than a few times and then I just threw everything (meat,potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage) into a pot and boiled the devil out of it. I found this much tastier version and prepared root veggies all separate so they really stood out. Our honey-glazed carrots with nutmeg go very well.

Try root veggies this way.
peeled parsnips, rutabaga, turnips (cut into different shapes so you can tell them apart)
mini-potatoes (red and white if you want)
mini-onions (red and white if you want)
parboil everything for 5 minutes (onion skins will remove easily)
Drain and toss into a roasting pan with olive oil, sea salt, and rosemary.
Roast at 375 until brown.

Erin Go Braugh!

Satay Chicken Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Cilantro

Got this great recipe from a magazine. While the baby was napping (wow!) Juliette and I made this. I let her help mix the sauce with the peanut butter and lime juice & coconut..yum!

Be careful when cutting the chili pepper---don't touch your face! I washed my hands but apparently not well enough-I itched my mouth-my lips and tongue burned for 20 minutes.

This is delicious and nice and spicy.
~Heather

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 2 limes
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 long red chili, thinly sliced
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cups snow peas
2 cups broccoli florets

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, broth, sugar, and coconut milk. Cut the chicken into 1-inch-wide strips. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, chili, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the snow peas and broccoli and cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 1 minute. Add the peanut sauce and cook until the mixture has thickened slightly and the chicken has cooked through, about 3 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro. Serve over cooked rice. Makes 4 servings

Tip:
You can easily substitute beef or shrimp for the chicken in this recipe. For beef, follow the same directions. For shrimp, cook all the vegetables, then add the shrimp, cook for 1 minute or until pink, add the peanut sauce, and finish the recipe from there.

Share the Love Crock Pot Campaign- chapter one Leek and Potato Soup

Serves 6 (ish)
ingredients: olive oil, 4 medium leeks, I large onion, 3 -4 cloves garlic, 4-5 medium to large potatoes, 5-6 cups chicken broth (can substitute water or vegetable broth if needed), salt, white pepper, chives, 2 T butter, whole milk or heavy cream

Wash, peel and chop potatoes and to slow cooker and cover with broth. Cover and put on low 5-7hours
As soon as they are in, wash, chop, rinse and saute leeks in a little olive oil along with chopped onion and garlic. Add to potatoes and leave it all alone til much later!

When potatoes are tender, puree with hand blender (or transfer to food processor/blender). Return to crock, add salt, pepper, butter and a splash of heavy cream (til it looks creamy and tastes amazing).

Serve chopped chives on top and french bread on the side!

My Notes: to my mind taking a little time to saute is worth extra time, however you could skip this process and entirely and add it all at the same time - this is what the recipe I base this on does, but since I've never met a recipe that I haven't tweaked, I decided to see what would happen if I went for extra flavor, hence the onion and garlic as well. Last time I cooked this I deglazed my saute pan with some white wine, that was awesome. Also, I chopped up and sauteed and extra leek and left some of the greens on - these I tossed into the pureed soup giving it a rustic look.

Notes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker: -
one hour before ending time add - a bunch of watercress and 12oz frozen peas, or 2 cups spinach (and 1 cup heavy cream after puree stage)

Enjoy!

Peas in a Creamy Sauce

I recently typed this recipe up for a friend so I thought I would share it with you guys too. It comes from one of Madhur Jaffrey's Indian cook books. It such a rich and delicious way to eat peas.

Peas in a Creamy Sauce serves 4-6, total prep time about 15 minutes, cooking time about 3minutes.

Ingredients
1/4t sugar
1/4t ground cumin
1/2t garam masala
3/4t salt
1T tomato paste
2T water
3/4 heavy whipping cream
1T lemon juice
1/4-1/2t cayenne pepper
2T chopped cilantro
1T fresh hot chilis (finely chopped)
1/2t cumin seeds (not ground)
1/2t mustand seeds (not ground)
10-20oz. frozen peas (defrosted and drained)

Directions:

Sauce:
Combine sugar, ground cumin, salt, caynenne, garam masala and tomato paste in a small bowl. SLoly add 2 T of water, mixing as you go. Add cream, mix Add lemon juice, cilantro and chili, mix and then set aside.

Peas:
In large skillet heat 3 T oil. When hot add 1/2t cumin seeds and 1/2t mustard seeds...toast (cook stirring until fragrant)...when seeds begin to "pop" add the peas and stir fry for 30 seconds. ADd sauce, cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Serve warm with rice or with other favorite Indian dishes.

Notes:
I do not usually add the chilis because I don't care for them
I often leave out the cilantro because I don't always have it
The recipe does not seem to suffer greatly without those two ingredients.
Also, the whole seeds could probably be left out without it being a huge deal, but they do add nice additional flavors and a little texture too.

Enjoy!

Herb Crusted Roast Beef

I fixed a small standing rib roast for the Maynard Christmas feast which we wisely decided to serve the day AFTER Christmas. You could use this method on any cut of roast beef and it would be as great. This came from Cooking Light magazine. Notes are mine. LBB

Preheat oven 450
#1 Prepare herb mixture first so it is ready. Combine 1/2 cup sliced cut up shallots and 3 garlic cloves in mini food processor to chop then add 3 Tblsp fresh rosemary (or 1.5 Tblsp. dried), 2 Tblsp. fresh thyme (or 1 Tblsp dried)and process until well chopped.

#2 Place 3 - 5 lb. roast on cooking rack coated with cooking spray.

#3 Sprinkle roast evenly with 1 and 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1 Tblsp cracked black peppercorns (put whole peppercorns and salt in a plastic bag and whack with a rolling pin ...very good therapy)

#4 Rub roast with 3 Tblsps Dijon or brown spicy mustard

#5 Rub herb mixture evenly over roast.

#6 Bake at 450 for 25 minutes.
Leave roast in oven and reduce heat to 350 for 1 hour or more until internal temperature reaches 145 (medium rare).
Let roast stand 10 -15 minutes before carving.

#7 Try to have this ready before ready before roast is done for better timing. Combine 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef or chicken broth with 1 cup red wine in small saucepan, bring to boil and cook @15 minutes until it reduces to 2/3 cup. Remove from heat and stir 1 tsp butter and 1/2 tsp. Serve over carved meat. Much lighter than gravy but quite tasty!

I actually tried a variation of this yesterday with a half turkey breast. I rubbed it with spicy brown mustard, coated it with a lemon thyme and garlic mixture, roasted it and served with a white wine reduction. Yummy!

The Famous Tuna Casserole Revisited

I hadn't made this for over a decade but I recently served it for a volunteer staff party and the crowd went wild! You can find lower salt, lower fat versions of nearly everything in this and it still tastes great! Real comfort food for wintry days!
This serves four.

Make about 3 cups of your favorite stove top macaroni and cheese from scratch (or use a boxed mix) Extra sharp cheddar is best!
Add: 1 can tuna of choice (drained)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of sour cream
1/3 cup dry sherry (Cooking sherry is okay, but salty.
You can buy the real thing nearly as cheap.)
Mix well and place in a casserole dish.
Top with croutons and bake at 350 until bubbly!

(They don't make the cheddar cheese croutons we use to use so I just chopped up a loaf of cheese bread from Weggies and made my own. Toss 1 cup bread cubes with 1/2 Tblsp olive oil and bake at 350 on cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. Then top casserole)

LBB

Mom's Latkes

Makes @20 small latkes

6 medium-size potatoes,pared
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 medium-size onions,grated
2 tsps salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
dash paprika
1/2 cup flour
vegetable oil

Grate potatoes (I prefer a medium grate); place in a large bowl with baking soda; toss to mix. Squeeze off any excess water with hands.
Beat eggs in large bowl; stir in potatoes, onion, salt, nutmeg,and paprika. Sprinkle flour over top; stir in.
Pour 1/4 inch depth of oil into heavy skillet(or electric fry pan) and heat.
Drop spoonful of potato mixture for each latke into skillet; flatten slightly with back of spoon.
Fry slowly, turning once, 3 minutes, or until crisp and golden. drain on paper towels; keep warm.
Serve with sour cream or applesauce and love!
xxx MOM

Crispy Baked Kale with Gruyere Cheese

Jenni and I discovered this last fall and we just love it! Gruyere cheese can be a bit pricey but it is really yummy. You can substitute any alpine style cheese like swiss. hugs... Mom

Croutons:
Sourdough bread, crust removed, torn into 1/2 pieces, 2 cups;
tossed with 1 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil; toasted on cookie sheet 350 degrees for 8 minutes; set aside to cool
Kale:
1 medium shallot,minced
1 small onion,thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds kale, large stems discarded, leaves chopped
1 tsp chopped thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground pepper
In large deep skillet, or heavy pot, heat 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
Saute shallot, onion, garlic 7 minutes over moderate heat until soft stirring occasionally
Add kale, cover, cook about 15 min. til tender over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally
Stir in thyme, salt , pepper to taste
Transfer to 8x10 baking dish

Topping:
1 and 1/4 cups shredded gruyere cheese (or swiss) @3.5 ounces
sourdough croutons

Bake: 350 degrees @20 minutes 'til cheese is bubbling and croutons are golden; let stand 5 minutes and serve

You can make this ahead of time; just skip last baking and refrigerate overnight; keep croutons in airtight container.

Cool Food Blog

A friend of mine passed on a cool link to a great food blog. She takes really great food photos. She's got a yummy sounding pumpkin and lentil curry recipe posted 3rd down currently. I added her site to our page as a link, but here it is in this post too.

http://www.wellfed.typepad.com/

~H

Sweet Greens

Hi girls. Great idea! Here’s my first contribution! -J

Greens
Bring 3 inches of water to a boil in a saucepan.
Take half of one head of kale.
Chop off the thick part of the stalk.
Rinse and roughly chop leaves.
Add greens to water, stir until bright green and let cook
2 minutes.
Drain greens and place in serving bowl.

Sweetness
In small bowl combine 1 TB olive oil, 1 TB real maple
syrup, ½ TB balsamic vinegar, or any quantity you
want in ratio of 1:1:1/2.
Whisk together until blended.
Pour over greens and toss thoroughly.

Serve! Enjoy! Easy! :)

Mom's Pumpkin Bread (family fall classic!)

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cup walnuts
Mix wet ingredients together, then dry ingredients together and add them gradually, then walnuts. Bake in ungreased baking pans at 350 for one hour. Yummy! - K

We recently revisited this at Thanksgiving and b/c of the sweetness of the pumpkin we reduced the sugar by 1/2 cup. Still super yummy!

Spicy Lentil Pot

Heather here. This recipe is a favorite of ours for fall and winter. We got it from my friend Mandy. It comes from the recipe book Extending the Table which I should probably own. It's super easy to make!

Spicy Lentil Pot Serves 4-6
Chop in Large Chunks:
2 Carrots
1 Green Pepper
1 Onion
2-3 Tomatoes or 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce

Put vegetables into a large soup pot and add:
5-8 cloves of peeled garlic (left whole)
1 and 1/2 cups red lentils (rinsed and drained)
4-5 cups of water
1 chicken boullion cube

Cover, bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes without stirring.
Skim foam from lentils as desired. Cool slightly then puree.

Return to pot and add:
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (or to taste)

Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Optional: in separate pan fry 1/2 cup of chopped onion in 1 T. of oil until toasty brown. Float onions on top of soup. Serve with wedges of lemon to bring out flavor.

Notes: I don't add the onions, but the lemon can be nice. Also, I have made it without the boullion and it's still been great.

Baked Pumpkin

Hey there. It's Mom.
Here's one I just got from my friend Nancy. This serves 6 generously.
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to cut it in half and use a smaller pumpkin and shorten baking time.
I'll let you know how it works.

Ingredients:
5-6 medium baking apples (tart), pared, cored, sliced
2 cups cooked sausage (spicey) 1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c raisins 1 T flour 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Toss together and put inside volleyball size pumpkin (scrape out seeds and strings first)
Dot with butter. Put lid on. Bake in shallow pan 350 degrees for 2 hours.
Scoop pumpkin out as you serve. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Food for Eating

Most blogs are food for thought, but this one is really about food to eat!
Family and friends of ours will post recipes and cooking suggestions.