Tag Archives: lunch

May11

Ham and Cannellini Soup-the quick and easy way

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DSCN0585

Ham and Cannellini Soup—the quick and easy way

It’s still cool in these parts and I had taken out from the freezer a ham with bone, left over from Easter. The ham was so tasty but I was in a mood for something hot and easy. So, here is what I did and it really turned out good. I did top it with some shaved Parmesan and croutons and that made it even more delicious but I am sure not very non-caloric. Oh well———

 

Ingredients:

  1. 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  2. 1 celery stalk, sliced
  3. Several bits of parsley
  4. 2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
  5. 6 cups chicken broth (I use Better Than Bouillon which I really like)
  6. 1 Tsp. mustard powder
  7. 1 large bay leaf
  8. 1 ½ to 2 C. chopped ham
  9. 1- 15-oz. can Cannellini beans well rinsed
  10. Optional: Croutons and shaved Parmesan for the topping

 

Directions:

  1. Add the first 6 ingredients in a medium sized pot and bring these ingredients to a slow boil; then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
  2. Then add your two last ingredients and simmer for another 30 minutes.
  3. Voila—easy and yummy
  4. Variations: you could use different kinds of beans; you could add different and more veggies; and you could also use different kinds of seasonings.   Versatility and imagination is always the fun in creating a good dish.
Apr23

Versatile Vegetable Soup

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Versatile Vegetable Soup

8 Servings

 

This is such a healthy and easy dish to make. You can really use any kind of vegetables (even frozen though I love the fresh variety) that you wish so almost every ingredient mentioned here is optional. You also can add rice or pasta along with the chick peas; or you can use white beans instead of the chick peas. You can omit the meatballs and use ingredient combinations like pasta or rice plus beans to make a complete protein. (Look online to find the food combinations that make a complete protein.) You can use chicken or vegetable stock instead of beef stock. You can change the Italian slant of this dish a make instead a Mexican one (add enchilada sauce and tortillas) or German (add slice bratwurst) or Indian (add curry seasoning and Nan) or—well I leave it up to you. Just use your imagination and it’ll come out superb and healthy. It’s also a very economical dish and can be served for lunch or dinner; and why not serve it for a very healthy and filling breakfast? Lastly, for the busy ones, if you have a slow cooker, you can cook it in there (5-6 hours on low), leave home and come back to an almost cooked meal. You just have to add the last half hour ingredients when you are home. I love dishes like and this and it’s one that the whole family can participate in—including of course the kids.

 

Ingredients:

  1. 1 onion, finely sliced
  2. 2 garlic cloves, rough chopped
  3. 3 Tblsp. olive oil
  4. 1/4 head cabbage, rough chopped
  5. 6 Brussels sprouts, sliced
  6. 1/2 to 3/4 head of Boston lettuce, rough chopped
  7. 1 C. Swiss chard, chopped
  8. 1 C. spinach, chopped (or a 10 oz. package of frozen spinach)
  9. 2 celery stalks, rough chopped
  10. 1/2 (or more) large head of broccoli, finely chopped
  11. 8-10 cups beef stock
  12. S&P to taste
  13. 1/2 to 1 Tsp. dried Italian seasoning
  14. 1/4 C. sherry, Madera or Marsala (optional)
  15. 1 bay leaf
  16. One small basket of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  17. 1 small can of chick peas, drained and rinsed in cold water
  18. Ground beef, chicken or turkey to make into meatballs (see ingredients needed and instructions below)
  19. 8 oz. shelled fresh peas or frozen ones
  20. 6 slices coarse country-style bread which has been rubbed with garlic and toasted in the oven. (optional)
  21. Shaved Parmesan
  22. 1 Tblsp. chopped parsley

Instructions for the soup:

  1. In a large pot, warm the olive oil and then sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. (about 5 minutes)
  2. Add the ingredients numbering 4 through 10 and cook gently, stirring from time to time, for about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the ingredients numbering from 11 to 15, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 ½ hours.
  4. Add the ingredients numbering from 16 to 18 for one more 1/2 hour.
  5. Serve over the optional French bread and/or topped with the shaved Parmesan and chopped parsley.

To make the meatballs you’ll need the following ingredients:

  1. 1/2 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken
  2. 1 beaten egg
  3. 1/2 to 3/4 C. Italian or plain bread crumbs
  4. 1 dash of tobacco

Instructions for forming the meatballs:

Mix everything together till not too soppy and form into one-inch diameter meatballs.

Oct19

Veal Meatballs with Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Black Olives

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veal mealballs with tomatoes, black olives and mushrooms

Veal Meatballs with Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Black Olives

Serves 4

It’s nice to see different kinds of ground meats at the markets today.  I just made a wonderful free form ground lamb puff pasty tart and now that I spied ground veal at Atkinsons’ I thought that I would do something with that.  This is an easy recipe with some variations for you to choose that will make the end result zing in different ways and is pretty enough to serve for company.

Ingredients:

  1. 3/4 to 1 Lb. ground veal
  2. 5 large whole white or brown mushrooms—one finely chopped
  3. 3 garlic cloves –diced
  4. 1 egg-well beaten with some  salt and freshly ground pepper
  5. 1 Tblsp. grated Parmesan
  6. 1 medium onion diced
  7. 3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
  8. 1 Tsp. minced fresh sage leaves or a pinch of dried crumbled sage leaves or instead with a pinch of nutmeg
  9. 1/2 C. (or more) plain bread crumbs
  10. 5 rinsed plum tomatoes-cut long ways in quarters
  11. 3 Tblsp. olive oil or butter or a combination of both
  12. S&P
  13. 1 large bay leaf
  14. 1 C. white vermouth or white wine and possibly some chicken broth
  15. 1 Tsp. minced fresh rosemary or fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 Tsp. of dried of whatever you choose)
  16. 1/2 Tsp. Turmeric
  17. 1 C. pitted black olives (optional if you don’t care for olives)

Directions:

  1. For the meatballs, combine the ground veal with 1 finely chopped mushroom, 1 diced garlic clove, 1 Tblsp. grated Parmesan, 1 Tblsp. diced onion, 1 Tblsp. chopped parsley, the sage (or pinch of nutmeg) and the well beaten egg.  Mix well with your hands and then add 1/2 C. (or more if you feel necessary) breadcrumbs. Form the ground veal into 1” diameter meatballs.
  2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil/butter and then gently place in the meatballs.  Turn them gently with a fork or tongs till they are nicely browned (about 5 minutes). Remove them to a plate.
  3. In the same pot you should have enough oil and juice to brown the remaining onion.  Stir the onion till softened (5 to 10 minutes) and then add the remaining garlic and cook one minute more.  Add the S&P and the wine; if you would care for more liquid you can add 1/2 C. or more chicken broth.  Let come to a slow simmer and add the tomatoes, 2 Tblsp. chopped parsley, bay leaf, turmeric and rosemary or thyme.  Stir gently and then add the meatballs.
  4. Turn the heat to very low, cover and cook, stirring very gently every now and then for about 45 minutes.  Add the whole mushrooms and black olives at the very end; continue simmering with a cover on till the mushrooms are tender and done (about 5-10 minutes).
  5. I like this stew served on top of fluffy white rice and a green salad for a side.  Crusty French bread is always a nice addition.
Oct15

Zucchini Pasta Topped with Roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pesto and Walnuts

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zucchini pasta and roasted tomatoes

Zucchini Pasta Topped with Roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pesto and Walnuts

Serves 4

 Here’s a very delicious and economical healthy dish that is perfect for the vegetarian, the person who wants no carbs and for the person who wants to loose some weight. It’s also a pretty one to serve.  It’s a dish that does entail a bit of effort and time but the end result is well worth it and you can cut out some steps if you so desire.  As well, if you wish to serve it for guests as a more “complete” meal, you can serve it topped with lightly sautéed shrimp–and I like them sprinkled with some crushed red pepper flakes- and a side of crusty French bread.  Bon Appetite!!

roasted tomatoes

Ingredients for the Roasted Tomato Topping:

  1. 1 ¼ lb. Roma Tomatoes, sliced thin
  2. 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  3. 3 Tblsp. olive oil
  4. S & P
  5. 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
  6. 5 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  2. Line a cookie sheet or other baking sheet with aluminum foil
  3. In a medium size bowl lightly mix the tomatoes with the garlic cloves, olive oil and S&P until they are evenly coated.
  4. Place the seasoned tomato slices in one layer on your pan and bake on middle rack in the oven.  Bake for about 30 minutes—till the tomatoes are shriveled and softened.
  5. Also bake the zucchini inner cut parts for the last 15 minutes (see step #2 below in the instructions for the Zucchini Pasta).
  6. Remove the tomatoes from oven and wrap the aluminum foil around them and place back in oven to keep warm.  Same for the zucchini. Hint: Before serving the tomatoes, remove the herb sprigs.

zucchini pastazucchini ready to be made into pasta (2)zucchini ready to be roasted

Ingredients for the Zucchini Pasta:

  1. 2 ½ lbs. of zucchini, julienned into long strips with your vegetable peeler
  2. 1/2 C. Pesto –(see recipe below—or you can use a purchased product)

 Instructions for the Zucchini Pasta:

  1. With a vegetable peeler, peel the unskinned zucchini into long strips down to the soft and seedy inner part. Save these parts and cut them into halves. You will be roasting these for a side garnish to your dish. (see instruction step # 5 above).  Place the zucchini “pasta” peels in a large pot along with the pesto. Mix well to coat all of the peels and cook and stir lightly over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Do this step right before serving.
  2. Place the cut seedy zucchini parts on a separate baking dish lined with aluminum foil.  Brush each slice with some of your pesto and bake in the oven for the last 15 minutes of your tomato slice baking.  When somewhat browned and softened, you can wrap this in the aluminum foil to keep warm in the oven. (see instruction step #5 above)

Ingredients for the Basil Pesto (This makes 1/2 C. of pesto):

  1. 1 C. of washed torn off basil leaves
  2. 1 garlic clove, minced
  3. 1 Tblsp. lightly toasted chopped walnuts or whole pine nuts
  4. 1/4 C. olive oil
  5. S&P

Instructions for the Pesto:

  1. Place ingredients basil leaves, clove, nuts and half of the olive oil in a processor.  Process and then add the rest of the olive oil.  Finish processing.
  2. If you want extra pesto, double (or more) this recipe.  It’ll store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and will also freeze well (particularly if you top it with additional olive oil) for several months.

Ingredients for the topping of the served dish:

  1. 1 Tblsp. lightly toasted chopped walnuts or whole pine nuts. So when you toast the nuts for your pesto toast an extra Tblsp. for your topping.
  2. Shaved Parmesan

zucchini pasta and roasted tomatoes

Serving the dish:

  1. Place the zucchini pasta in the middle of your dish. Top with the tomatoes and garlic and the toasted nuts and Parmesan.  Place the roasted inner zucchini halves around the “pasta” (pictured above) or if you wish you can serve the “pasta” surrounded by shrimp.  (pictured below)

zucchini pasta with shrimp

Oct13

Ground Lamb, Greens and Cheese Puff Pastry Torte

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ground lamb and greens puff pastry tart

Ground Lamb, Greens and Cheese Puff Pastry Torte

Serves 6 to 8

 

It was the time of the Trailing of the Sheep Fest here in Ketchum, ID and just the sound of the baaaa’s made me hungry for a little lamb.  So, I found some nice ground lamb at Atkinsons’s and inspired by a recipe from my “Puff” cookbook by Martha Holmberg, I made this yummy dish.  Ground lamb is usually not that cheap but honestly, when you consider that I had so many servings of it for myself and even for a guest one evening, I bet that I didn’t spend more than $2.00 a night for my healthy and lovely meals.  I had a little salad on the side and a bit of my homemade coffee ice cream accompanied by our tasty fall pears; the whole repast was perfect. And by the by, I did have this dish several nights in a row and did NOT get tired of having it—because it was so light and flavorful.

 

This is a 3 part recipe—one for the lamb filling, one for the greens and one for the puff pastry assembly:

 

Ingredients for the lamb filling:

  1. 3/4 lb. to 1 Lb. ground lamb
  2. 2 Tblsp. for the lamb browning and another 2 Tblsp. olive oil for the sauce
  3. S&P
  4. 1 small onion, finely chopped
  5. 4 garlic cloves, minced
  6. 1/2 C. white wine or vermouth
  7. 1 C. chicken broth
  8. 1-14 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained HOWEVER RESERVE 1/4 C. of juice for later use
  9. 1-5 inch. sprig of fresh rosemary or 1 Tblsp. dried
  10. 1/4 Tsp. nutmeg
  11. 1 Tsp. balsamic vinegar
  12. 6 drops Tabasco or more according to your taste
  13. 3/4 C. plain breadcrumbs
  14. 1/3 C. finely grated fresh Parmesan
  15. 2 Tblsp. chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Directions for the lamb filling:

  1. Heat 2 Tblsp. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the lamb, breaking it up so that there are no large pieces.  Season with S&P and cook till it’s no longer pink.  Remove the lamb and set aside.  Pour off the remaining grease.
  2. Add the remaining 2 Tblsp. oil to the skillet and place on medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook stirring until very soft and fragrant—but don’t let brown (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the wine and boil till the mixture is glazed (about 1 minute). Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and the 1/4 C. reserved tomato juice, rosemary sprig and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg.  Adjust heat to a lively simmer and cook until it has a nice thick consistency—like a marinara sauce (10-15 minutes).
  3. Remove from the heat, stir in the lamb, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and optional sun-dried tomatoes.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, vinegar or hot sauce.  Set aside and if you wish this can be refrigerated and saved till the next day.

 

Ingredients for the greens:

  1. 1 Lb. (roughly) fresh Swiss chard, kale or spinach
  2. 1 Tblsp. olive oil
  3. S&P
  4. 1 Tblsp. sweet butter
  5. 1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
  6. 1/4 C. half and half
  7. 1/4 Tsp. nutmeg
  8. 1 egg, well beaten

Directions for the greens:

  1. Clean well and rough chop the greens.
  2. In a large skillet or wok, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the greens and toss with tongs until wilted; cook them until tender. Hint: if you are using kale, it will take longer than the chard or spinach, the latter which will take the least amount of time.  Squeeze out the juice from the greens by pressing against the side of the pan and pouring off the juices.
  3. Over medium heat add the butter to the greens in the skillet/wok and toss to blend ; then add the flour and toss to blend; add the half-and-half stirring frequently until the greens are coated by a nice creamy sauce (2-3 minutes).  Season with S&P to taste and nutmeg.  Taste, adjust the seasoning and stir in the well beaten egg.

Ingredients for the final assembly:

  1. One sheet puff pastry, unthawed—per package directions
  2. 1 C. crumbled feta or 1 C. grated parmesan plus 1/4  to  1/2 C. chopped ricotta—your choice
  3. 1 plum or juicy tasty tomato, thinly sliced
  4. 1-10” Pyrex pie dish or something similar which is oven proof (you don’t need to pre-oil)

Very Final Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. On a lightly floured board, roll one sheet of pastry into a 14-inch square and transfer to your pie dish with the pastry edges sticking over the pie dish.
  3. Spread the bottom of the pastry with 1/2 of the cooled lamb filling ; spread half of the cheese of your choice next; top with the greens then repeat these layers once again ending with the greens and very lastly finishing with the sliced tomatoes.
  4. Crimp the edges from the pastry over the filling.
  5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes till filling is hot and edges are browned; let it rest about 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
  6. If you have left over’s, you can reheat the remainders in the dish at the same oven temp for about 20 minutes.
  7. You can also pre-make the sauce and the greens without the final addition of the egg the day before and then add the egg to the greens and assemble it all the next day.
  8. If you wish to make it into a real pie, you can unthaw and roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and use that as your topping.  I frankly like the open face look and feel that the extra crust is unnecessary both for pretty presentation and calories.  However, if you choose to place a top crust, make sure to make slits in it  for the steam to escape before baking and cut the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes.
Oct7

Eggs in Mini Pumpkins with Squash or Sweet Potato Hash

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Eggs in Mini Pumpkins with Squash or Sweet Potato Hash

mini-pumpkin, egg and squash hashegg in mini pumpkin w sweet potato hash

Serves 4

Left picture with squash; right one with sweet potato

This is probably not a dish that you will make more than once or twice a year, but for around Halloween or Thanksgiving, it’s a colorful and yummy dish with which to surprise your family and overnight guests for a breakfast or brunch. It’s a pretty and unique dish to serve and I think just plain memorably fun.

Ingredients:

  1. 4 mini orange pumpkins (4 inches in diameter) which you’ve cut about 1/3rd of the way down, seeded and spoon-scraped clean the insides so that an egg will fit in nicely. The pumpkin inner flesh is delicious to eat with the egg. SAVE THE TOPS FOR DÉCOR and if they have a stem, all the better.
  2. 1-2 Tblsp. olive oil for the frying pan
  3. 1 small package cut up fresh squash and cut up even smaller by you into 1/2 inch diced pieces or 1 sweet potato peeled and coarsely shredded or grated.
  4. 1/2 C. onion or shallot, minced
  5. 1 red pepper cut longwise into slender strips
  6. 1/2 C. uncooked bacon, diced or Black Forest ham diced
  7. 1/2 C. olive oil
  8. 1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
  9. 1-2 Tsp. red chili flakes
  10. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  11. 2 Tblsp. fresh sage or rosemary, minced
  12. S&P
  13. 4 large eggs

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 the day of serving.
  2. In a small bowl whip together the olive oil, vinegar, chili flakes, garlic cloves and sage or rosemary. Reserve about 2 Tblsp. to either brush on the bottom of the pumpkins before placing in an egg or to drizzle on top of your egg when the egg is cooked.
  3. In a medium sized frying pan, heat up the 1-2 Tblsp. olive oil and sauté the onion or shallot along with the red pepper strips until both are softened (about 5 minutes).
  4. Add the vinaigrette to the onion/red peppers and quickly add the sweet potato or squash; gently stir everything so well mixed.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, uncovered until softened and tasting pretty good (about 10 minutes).  At this point you can put a lid over the skillet to keep warm until you serve your egg/pumpkin or you can refrigerate it and reheat it with the pumpkins and eggs when you cook them. If you refrigerate the hash, let it come to room temp before putting in the oven with the pumpkins. Baking the hash in the oven will crispen the hash and you may prefer it like that.
  5. The day of serving, for the pumpkins, line a baking sheet with foil and place them on the foil lined baking sheet, cut side down.
  6. Bake the pumpkins on the sheet for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
  7. Turn the pumpkins right side up on your baking sheet and if you wish, brush the inside of the pumpkins with a little of the leftover vinaigrette and season with S&P or save the vinaigrette for top of the egg drizzle when the egg is cooked. Crack one egg into the center of each pumpkin and if you wish to have a crisper hash or need to reheat your room temp hash, single layer that around your pumpkins.
  8. Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue baking until the eggs are almost set—around 15 minutes.  Start keeping a close eye on them about 10 minutes on and remember that when the pumpkin is out of the oven, the eggs will cook a bit more inside the hot pumpkins.
  9. To serve: Spoon the hash onto plates and nestle the pumpkins in the center. Lean one pumpkin top on the side of each pumpkin.  Drizzle a bit of the vinaigrette on top of the egg if you desire.
Sep30

Winter Greens, Potatoes and Chickpeas Stew

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Winter Greens, Potatoes and Chickpeas Stew

Serves 4

Greens, Potatoes and Chickpeas Stew

This is a nice soup for those desiring a vegetarian meal for a cool day’s lunch or dinner. The ingredients can be varied which I feel always adds interest to your dish. It’s also a complete protein meal so you don’t have to worry about having poultry, meat or fish as well.  Bon Appétit.

Ingredients:

  1. 1 Lb. Chard, stems removed (I used the rainbow variety) You could also use spinach or Kale or a combination of the greens.
  2. 1 ½ Lbs. Baking Potatoes (I used 2 large ones but 3 medium ones would be OK as well)-Sliced in 3/4 inch-slices
  3. 1-2 Onions, rough chopped or even thinly sliced
  4. 2-3 Garlic Cloves-minced
  5. 3 Tblsp. Olive Oil
  6. 1 Tsp. Paprika
  7. 1/4 Tsp. Turmeric
  8. 1/8- 1/4  Tsp. Cayenne Pepper (depending how “hot” you want your stew)
  9. 1 Tsp. salt (optional)
  10. 4 C. of  Vegetarian Base Bouillon or Chicken Stock, heated
  11. 2 C. (1-16 oz. can) of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (you can also use another type of white bean)
  12. 2 Hard Boiled Eggs, Sliced or cut into wedges (optional)
  13. One Tasty Tomato, Sliced (optional)
  14. Shaved Parmesan or Jack Cheese for topping (optional)
  15. Chopped Parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Cook your greens any which way you wish; drain thoroughly and set aside.
  2. In a large stove top Dutch oven or similar kind of pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the potatoes, onions and garlic cloves.  Sauté for 5-10 minutes—watching carefully and stirring quite often—until the potatoes have started to brown. Add to this the paprika, turmeric, salt and cayenne until the mixture smells fragrant (around 1-2 minutes).
  3. Add the bouillon, greens and chickpeas and bring to a simmer.  Simmer with a tipped top for about 15 to 20 minutes—or till the potatoes are tender.
  4. Serve the stew topped with the hard boiled eggs, tomato slices, cheese and chopped parsley.
Jun17

Blanquette de Poulet

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chickens

Blanquette de Poulet

Serves 4-6

My mother was not that crazy about cooking however, every Sunday, this is what she made.  So, of course, I grew very fond of it and now have to make it so as to remind myself about the good and sociable Sundays that she created around this dish.  She teamed this up with fresh veggies or sometimes, I hate to say, canned, a nice salad and her really splendid rice, a sort of risotto. To top off our mid-Sunday repast, she served her excellent open faced apple tart or a zabaglione or some home made meringues with ice cream.  To start off the whole affair, it was either a slice of cantaloupe or canned fruit cocktail. The cantaloupe would be doused by our European friends with sugar.  So, now when I mention the canned stuff, you’ll know that the era was the 40’s and 50’s.  This is not a complicated dish and it’s the sauce that makes it—or at least that’s what I think. Blanquette equates to a totally white sauce in French culinary terms. There is also a more famous version of the blanquette—Veal en Blanquette. The recipe for that is a bit different.  Anyway, here’s to memories and I hope that you’ll enjoy this dish.

 

Ingredients:

  1. 1 nice sized whole chicken, rinsed
  2. Water–enough to cover the whole affair
  3. 2 or 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
  4. 2-3 celery stalks, washed and cut in half or thirds
  5. 1 onion-peeled and cut into quarters
  6. Several cloves of garlic-peeled and chopped
  7. 3-4 sprigs of garlic
  8. Some peppercorns
  9. A couple sprigs of fresh thyme or tarragon or rosemary—your choice of one
  10. S&P to taste
  11. 2 Tblsp. flour
  12. 2 Tblsp. butter
  13. 1 C. heavy cream (but ½ and ½ will do it except it won’t taste as wonderful)
  14. 2 egg yolks put in a small bowl that will also hold the heavy cream
  15. 1/2 Lb. small mushrooms, sautéed in a bit of butter (optional)

 

Instructions:

  1. In a large pot, place the chicken, water to cover and the ingredients mentioned from item #3 through item #10.  Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for at least one hour or till chicken is done. (You can also put all of these ingredients except the carrots in a large cheesecloth bag and place that in the stock).
  2. Set aside the chicken and carrots. Strain the stock, discard the strained ingredients (or the cheesecloth bag) and put the stock back in the pot.
  3. Bring stock to a boil and reduce to a slower boil until broth is reduced about 2/3rds.
  4. In a small bowl, cream the butter and flour (I do this with a fork) and add a bit of the hot broth and mix well till smooth and no lumps remain.
  5. Add the flour/butter mixture to the broth in the pot and boil 1-2 minutes.
  6. In the meantime, mix the cream with the yolks with a whip. If you wish, you can add some lemon juice to this mixture.  As I remember, mother didn’t.
  7. Reduce heat of broth till barely simmering and add the cream/yolk mixture. DO NOT LET BOIL or it will curdle (YUK!)
  8. Whip the broth until it’s nice a smooth.
  9. Place the chicken on a platter with the mushrooms and carrots around and pour the sauce over all.  Or if you would rather, serve the chicken, carrots and mushrooms plain and put the sauce in a gravy boat and let your guests pour the sauce themselves on their individually plated dishes.

 

P.S.  There are many other excellent and a bit more complicated recipes for Blanquette de Poulet however the one I gave you is the one my mother made and frankly, I enjoyed the simplicity of it because it made the sauce really stand out.    

Jun11

Fusion Veal Stew

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Fusion Veal Stew-(a little Italian, German, Greek, Vietnamese, & Mexican Influencing)

Serves 6

Fushion Veal

Now, don’t turn up your nose at this combination because it really tastes good and is pretty healthy as well.  Fusion is fun and often can yield wonderful results.  This is a yummy veal stew that I served over Vietnamese My-Tho Large Noodles (Wide Oriental Style) to save calories.  They are half the calories of normal noodles and were easy to prepare (noodles was the German/Vietnamese influence).  I used fresh cilantro,( I sort of always think Mexican for this green topping even though I know a lot of other nationalities use it for their culinary cuisine as well)  for the topping because I didn’t have fresh parsley and it turned out to be a nice tasty addition. The olives are the Greek or Italian influence.  So, here’s the recipe for you brave and adventuresome readers:

 

Ingredients for the stew:

  1. 2 Lbs. lean veal stew meat (I found some very well priced at Atkinsons’)
  2. Flour for dredging
  3. S&P to taste and to add to the flour for the dredging
  4. 1/4 C. olive oil
  5. 1-2 Cloves garlic-chopped
  6. 1 Small onion, sliced
  7. 2/3 Tsp. dried rosemary or twice that amount of fresh
  8. 1/2 C. dry white wine (I used white vermouth)
  9. 1 Tblsp. tomato paste
  10. 1 C. or more of  hot chicken stock
  11. 12 pitted black ripe olives, sliced
  12. Chopped parsley or cilantro

 

Directions for the stew:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 300
  2. Dredge the veal with the flour, S&P
  3. In a heavy oven proof skillet, over medium high heat, bring the olive oil to a light sizzle.  Add the veal to it and brown well over medium heat (about 5 minutes). Then add the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes more stirring often.
  4. Add the rosemary, wine, tomato paste and the hot chicken stock so that the veal is totally covered with the liquid.
  5. Cover and bake two hours.  After one hour peek in to see that there is enough liquid and if not, add more wine and chicken stock.
  6. After 2 hours add the sliced olives and bake half hour more.
  7. Sprinkle parsley or cilantro over before serving.

rice noodles fusion veal

Directions for the My-Tho Wide Large Noodles:

  1. Place the amount of the dry noodles you wish to serve in a tall container (I used a juice container that would safely hold boiling water).
  2. About 5-10 minutes before you will be serving the veal, pour BOILING water over the noodles and stir every minute or so.  Keep tasting because you don’t want the noodles to get mushy. When they are firm but just right to eat (5- 10 minutes) drain them in a colander and run cold water over them so as to stop their cooking.  Put them back in the container and add some olive oil.  Stir well.
  3. They won’t be really hot but when you put the stew on top, you won’t notice the difference except that they will be half the calories of regular noodles.

 

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help or hosting

@ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

Jun5

Huevos en Avocados

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Huevos en Avocados

avocados y huevos Up To You To Determine The Amounts To Serve

Well priced avocados still are bountiful at Atkinsons’.  They are a nice large size and delicious tasting so here’s another easy and yummy recipe for anytime really—but of course perfect for breakfast.  I serve this with warm tortillas, but a crusty baguette or toasted English muffin would also make a nice accompaniment.

Ingredients:

  1.  Avocados— as many as you wish
  2. Eggs—as many as you wish
  3. Diced cooked ham or bacon (of you can fry the bacon stove top while your dish is in the oven and sprinkle the bits over the avocados when they are done) (optional)
  4. Chopped green onions—the whole thing
  5. Fresh cracked black pepper (optional)
  6. Paprika and/or Chili powder (optional)
  7. Mexican shredded cheese (optional)
  8. Salsa (optional)

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425
  2. Line your desired baking dish that you will be using with aluminum foil.
  3. Cut the avocados in half, length wise.  If there is not enough of a dip in the avocado to hold an egg, take some of the flesh out so that you’ll have a nice dip.
  4. Place the avocados in the dish and place a cracked egg in each.  Some of the white may run over, but that’s OK.
  5. Top the avocado and the inserted egg with your options listed in the ingredients. You might think of even more options, such as sour cream, etc.
  6. Place the dish in the oven for 20 minutes.  You can see if you like the results at 15 minutes, but mine is perfect in 20 minutes.

Buen appétit!!!!

 

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help or hosting

 @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.