Happy New Year

We are having a small party tonight.  We girls may play bridge.  Jim is having a wine tasting.  Everything is to be easy.  I bought a Honey Baked Spiral Cut Ham.  We have rolls and mustard.  Jim is picking up KFC coleslaw.  I made a cheese ball.  We have nuts that I made and guacamole.  Two couples will add to the hors de orves and one is bringing dessert.  It is only 2:00 in the afternoon and I am ready to party.   

Mustard Green and Fontina Filo Pie

Let’s start with last night. We had vanilla ice cream and chocolate sorbet with the Pinot Noir Raspberry Sauce my brother sent me for Christmas. Heaven!
Tonight we are having leftover frozen pumpkin soup from earlier. My guess is that you can find the recipe under November or October. I will look for it as I have another fresh pumpkin and it was really good, even frozen and warmed up.
Tonight’s dinner came from December Sunset Magazine. It says serves 9, but maybe as an appetizer. We just had it with the pumpkin soup and have only 2 pieces left.
Ingredients:
2# mustard greens, thick ribs removed and chopped
1T EVOO
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ C melted unsalted butter
6 sheets filo dough, cut into 7 ½ “ squares to make 12
½# fontina cheese, shredded
Directions:
1. Cook greens in a large pot of boiling water until tender, 2 minutes and cool. (I used my pasta pot, and had the heat on low added the salt and pepper and stirred until soft. Drained in a colander in the sink until cool.)
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. After the greens were cool I squeezed with my hands until all the water was gone. Add the oil.
3. Spray an 8” square baking pan. Layer 6 squares of the pastry buttering in between each layer. Top with the greens and then the cheese. Repeat filo layering and buttering with the remaining sheets. Cut through all the layers into 9 squares.
4. Bake for 55 minutes until golden and crisp on the top.
Very colorful and delicious meal; do to the strong taste of the mustard greens, Jim served a Chianti Classico from La Lellera. It went very good with the meal.

Chicken Cutlets with Pomesco and Serrano Cracklins

Jim actually liked dinner tonight. The preparation says for 4, but there is nothing left except a little Romesco sauce. This recipe is in December, Bon Appétit, actually just beyond the beet recipe that I really liked. I am going to divide the recipe differently as I thought the way it was presented took too much thinking and dividing. I am listing in order of the way to make to get it all done for serving.
Romesco Sauce
Ingredients:
½ C breadcrumbs(I used Panko)
1C drained roasted red bell pepper from a jar
¼ C sliced almonds, toasted
2 T EVOO
1 T Sherry wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled
¾ t paprika
Directions:
Place all in your Cuisinart and blend. Put in a small serving bowl.
Cracklin
Ingredients:
2 oz thinly sliced Serrano hake or prosciutto, Chopped
Directions:
Heat a large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add ham sauté until crisp, 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Salad
Ingredients:
6 C torn butter lettuce (not available so I used Boston lettuce)
1 T EVOO
1 T Sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/3 C parsley, chopped
Directions:
Wash and spin dry the lettuce. Break up in the salad bowl and add the chopped parsley. Whisk the EVOO, Vinegar and salt and pepper. Toss the salad.
Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken cutlets (no free range chicken in cutlets available at the market. Cut a chicken breast in half)
1 C breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
1/3 C chopped parsley
2T EVOO
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Mix the breadcrumbs and parsley in a shallow dish. Salt and pepper the cutlets. Add EVOO to a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; sauté until cooked through 4 minutes per side.
To plate:
Place a chicken cutlet on each plate. Cover with Romesco sauce. Put salad on the side and sprinkle with the Cracklings. Jim served a Trader Joe’s Rutherford, Napa Valley, 2009. It was neither steely nor buttery. I would have to call it sweet. They hyped it this month. I would not buy it again.
I hope later to have ice cream. My brother came through with more of the Pinot Noir Chocolate Sauce that I blogged about earlier this year for my Christmas present. He bought the original at Tabor Hill in Michigan. They no longer carry it, but they told him where to get it on line. If you’d like to enjoy it go to Cuisine Perel, Richmond, CA. I have a lifetime supply that also includes chocolate mint and chocolate orange. Yum-0!

Spinach Calzones with Blue Cheese

Today was grocery shopping day. Not too many people out. As our dinner was vegetarian, I started out Jim with rabbit pate that I bought in France along with some saga blue and special cheddar that I no longer remember why it is so special. If you go to Wegmans in Gainesville, ask Joanne about the special cheddar. Meanwhile I made the Calzones. I found this recipe on line from My Recipes. This recipe comes from Cooking Light, May 1999.
I have some ideas to make it better and I doubt it would add to the calories.
Ingredients:
1 (10 oz.) can of refrigerated pizza crust
Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups of spinach leaves
8 (1/8” thick) slices of sweet onion
1 1/3 C sliced mushrooms
¾ C (3 oz.) crumbled blue cheese. (I used gorgonzola.)
Directions:
1. Preheat overt to 425 degrees
2. Unroll the dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut into 4 quarters and pat each quarter into 6x5 inch pieces. (I rolled it evenly to 10 by 12 and cut with a pizza roller.)
3. Top each rectangle with 1C spinach, 2 onion slices, 1/3 C mushrooms and 3T cheese. (I would think the results would be better if I had taken the 5oz. package of spinach and lightly microwaved it and dived the entire amount onto the squares. Not enough veg. in the final.)
4. Bring 2 opposite corners to the center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching all points together to seal.
5. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Mine took 14 minutes.
Calories 297 each.
These were very good but could have used more spinach. Raw, it would be impossible to enclose any more spinach in the dough.
Jim served pizza wine.

Pan-seared Chicken Thighs with Beer and Grainy Mustard Sauce

Tonight’s dinner probably would not have been made except for the misleading title, pan-seared. This came from Dec/Jan Fine Cooking and Jim who is currently cleaning up all the counters and the oven will tell you this is fried chicken and gravy. Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 small bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (I used 4 as the ones Jim bought were huge)
Salt and pepper
2t vegetable oil
2 medium shallots, minced
1 ½ t all-purpose flour (I use Wonder Flour)
1 C amber lager
½ C chicken broth
1 ½ T pure maple syrup
½ t fresh thyme
1 T whole-grain mustard
2T unsalted butter
Directions:
1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 475 degrees.
2. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and trim excess skin.
3. Heat the oil in a 12” skillet over med-high heat until shimmering hot. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Arrange the chicken in the pan skin side down in a single layer. ( I used a larger pan for just 4, Julia says crowd the pan and they will not brown) Have a spatter screen on hand the minute you are putting the first piece of chicken in. Cook 7 minutes and turn over.
4. Place the chicken and screen in the oven and cook for an additional 8 minutes, until it is 170 degrees. As ours were larger it took 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter. I covered with aluminum foil and put in the warming drawer.
5. Pour off all but 1T fat from the skillet. Add the shallots and sauté over medium heat until softened about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and stir until browned also. Add the beer, broth, maple syrup and thyme. Increase the heat and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer vigorously until reduced to about 1 C. Add the mustard and butter. It says season to taste. I didn’t and it was fine.

I served the chicken with mashed potatoes and peas; kind of an old fashion dinner with a twist. The gravy was slightly sweet and good with the potatoes and the chicken. Jim is still cleaning up so I have to keep typing. The wine he served, Marietta, Old Vine Red, Lot Number 53 from Trader Joe’s, I did not like with the meal. The wine was good, but with the gravy, we could have used a German Riesling or Mosel.  

Beans and Beets

You win some and you lose some. I knew this would be wrong and just couldn’t turn it around. I hope you all had a great Christmas. We had great fun yesterday with our friends. We got home late and today my brother and I were on Skype with the whole family. It was fun to talk and see each other. Mom was eating lunch, Mary feeding her. Jeremy, Ann and Tammy were all there too; a big merry after Christmas day. I knew that tonight’s dinner would not be popular with Jim. The first course was Beet and Tangerine Salad with Cranberry Dressing. This was a great salad if you like beets like me. Jim even liked it, except the tangerines had a million seeds in it. There was almost no orange left and we still found seeds while eating it. Also, watercress these days seems to be rather weedy. I will use arugula for any future recipes that call for watercress. Serves 6, from December, Bon Appétit.
Ingredients:
3 -2 1/2 “dia. red beets, tops trimmed
3 large tangerines (use Navel oranges)
3T EVOO
3 T frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
1 T red wine vinegar
½ C paper-thin slices red onion
1 large bunch watercress, thick stems trimmed (use arugula)
Directions:
1. Place beets in deep large microwave-safe bowl. Add enough water to reach depth of 1”. Cover and microwave on high about 15 minutes. (I had a red microwave and Jim and multiple paper towels kept the kitchen from turning red. I know everyone is in a hurry there days, but my tried and true method of wrapping the beets in aluminum foil, baking at 350 for 1 hour works and is less messy.)
2. Cool the beets under cold running water and peel. Slice into ¼-1/3” thick rounds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Finely grate all three tangerines to get 2t of zest. Add this to a small bowl with the EVOO, cranberry juice concentrate, red wine vinegar and combine. Add the 1/2C red onion slices.
4. Trim all the peel off the tangerines and slice in ½” slices; removing all the seeds. Good luck!
5. Arrange the watercress on a platter. If using the watercress, lose all the stems. Jim just hates them. Arrange beets and tangerines on top. Spread the onions from the dressing on top of them and pour the dressing over.
This was called a holiday starter. I am not sure what it would be a starter for, but it was very good. The dressing was delicious.
When in a hurry I often don’t read all the details. I saw beans and bacon and thought it would be good after Christmas as I knew we would be having beef. Later I read that this would be a good side dish for lamb chops. It indeed would be. Cannellini Beans with Lemon, Roasted Red Pepper, and Bacon, serves 6, from Fine Cooking December.
Ingredients:
1 med. lemon, scrubbed
2 oz. thick bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
2T EVOO (I only used 1)
1t chopped fresh rosemary
1 large clove garlic, chopped
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes
2 15 ½ oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
¾ C chicken broth
2 jarred roasted red peppers, cut into small dice
Pepper and salt
Directions:
1. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 6-1” strips of zest from the lemon. Cut the strips crosswise ¼” wide. Juice half to the lemon and reserve the juice and zest separately.
2. In a 3 qt. saucepan over med. heat, cook the bacon with 1T EVOO, stirring until it renders most of the fat and is brown. Drain on a plate with a paper towel.
3. Return the pan to medium heat and add the rosemary, garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir 30 seconds. Add the beans, broth, peppers, lemon zest, and heat to simmer. Cook about 15 minutes. Add the 1T lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.
This was to be a side dish, but I often like a bean dish. It was good and would be a great side dish to lamb chops as noted in the recipe.
Jim served with a Schilcher Blauer Wildbacher Grape sparkling wine from Austria. I had my doubts, but it was perfect with the meal.
We were supposed to get a lot of snow, but it by passed us. I read that weather forecasting is the only job where you can be 90% wrong and when you are right they forget all the wrongs. Jim is really into finding out the weather forecast. I prefer the look out the window method.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve to all. We spent the day delivering gifts to friends both human and canine. Tonight we had our version of the feast of the seven fishes, with one fish. But we started with a special drink and pate we bought at Fauchon’s in France, a cheddar and Saga Blue from Wegmans. I found this drink in the Washington Post. I told Jim I would love to have a special drink if I didn’t have to make it. Jim agreed to make it. It took him longer to make this drink than it took to get the hors de horves ready and cook the main course. It is the equivalent of hanging pictures. The man is going to hang the pictures and he gets on the ladder. “Bring me the hammer.” Bring me the nail”, etc.
Bitter French, 1 serving
Ingredients:
Ice
1 oz gin
½ oz. Simple syrup (have ready)
½ oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (have ready)
¼ oz Campari
Chilled sparkling wine, preferably champagne
Twist of grapefruit peel, for garnish
Steps:
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the gin, simple syrup, grapefruit juice and Campari. Shake will, and then strain into a champagne flute. Flute must hold 6 oz.
2. Top with about 3 oz of sparkling wine. Garnish with the twist.
Perfect color for Christmas; also it went very well with pate and cheese.

I love the feast of the seven fishes on Christmas Eve, but with only two of us, I substituted Seared Scallops with Cauliflower, Brown Butter and Basil from Fine Cooking, December. This was a dream dish; easy to prepare and delicious
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 T EVOO
1 small head of cauliflower (1#) trimmed and cut into bite-sized florets
1# sea scallop
2 T unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
½ C vermouth
Salt and pepper
8 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. Heat 1 T EVOO in a 12” non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the cauliflower and cook. Stirring often, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 2 T oil to the skillet. When shimmering hot, add the scallops in a single layer. (Have a wire mesh cover between you and the pan and use long pinchers to put the scallops in the pan and later turn. ) Cook until golden brown about 2 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 2 minutes. Don’t worry they are done. Cook too much and you will have rubber bands.
3. Swirl butter into the skillet, add the shallot and cook, stirring often until the shallot softens and butter begins to brown. Only about a minute.
4. Add the vermouth and bring to a boil. (This is instant) Return the cauliflower to the pan and scrape the brown off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook, stirring often for 6 minutes. (Recipe says to add salt and pepper now. I added when I first browned the cauliflower. I believe in early seasoning, or do it on your plate)
5. Return scallops to the pan and toss to heat through, about 1 minute. Remove to a platter or plates and sprinkle with the basil.
I want to like cauliflower, but mostly I am disappointed. This scallops and cauliflower combination was fabulous. The cauliflower tasted sweet against the scallops. Recipe rating is 4 stars.
It is Christmas Eve; we had a Domaine Dublere, Chablis Les Preuses, Grand Cru, 2007 from Bourgongne. French Chablis is a favorite and they don’t come any better than this. Locally it is carried by Schneider’s of Capitol Hill.
Dessert is cookies from yesterday and ice cream. 

Christmas Goodies and Thursday Dinner

The first thing I worked on today was Spicy Orange Pecans. This is a different recipe than I’ve used for the last few years for gifts. However, as I was packaging them up, Jim was eating them as fast as he could and thinks they are very good. The recipe came from a Penzeys flyer.
Ingredients:
4 C plain pecan halves
2 T orange juice, fresh is best
1 large egg white
2 T fresh orange zest (requires 2 oranges)
½ C sugar
1 ½ t kosher salt
1 ½ t cayenne pepper
Pinch of black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pecans, orange juice and eggwhite and toss to coat.
3. In a small bowl combine the orange zest, sugar, salt and spices.
4. Add to the nuts and toss to coat evenly. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Next I made Double Chocolate-Peppermint Crunch Cookies from the December Bon Appétit.
Ingredients:
2 Cups to melt plus ½ C to add later of bittersweet chocolate chips.
1 ½ C all purpose flour
¼ C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1 t instant espresso powder
½ t salt
½ C unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 t peppermint extract
2 large eggs
4 candy canes coarsely crushed
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir 2 cups chocolate chips in a metal bowl set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Measure 2/3 C melted chocolate for drizzling later. (I put mine in a glass measuring cup and set it in the water in the pan and warmed up the water later.
2. Whish flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until cram. Add sugar and both extracts; beat until smooth. Add eggs; beat to blend. Beat in the melted chocolate from medium bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients; beat to blend and add the remaining chocolate chips. (This took Jim to get it blended. It is very stiff dough.
5. Measure 1 level T of dough; roll dough between palms to form ball. (I used my medium ice cream scoop to form the balls.) Place on a baking sheet 1 ½ “apart.
6. Bake cookies until cracked all over and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 8-9 minutes. (I only had 33 cookies instead of 50. Should have used the smaller scoop, so my cookies took longer.)
7. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to racks to cool completely. Using a fork, drizzle chocolate over cookies. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over. I drizzled again. Let cool.
These can be made 3 weeks ahead and frozen. They are as good as they look.

On to dinner, I made Steak Diane from my old New York Times Cookbook. In 1901 when I got the nerve to make comments in my cookbooks, I commented that I had made this several times and it never fails.
The recipe says for one. One includes a 10 oz. steak. Who besides Jim eats 10 oz. of steak? We had 2 small steaks near a pound. I cut each in half as they were too thick and proceeded as follows.
Ingredients:
1 10 oz. steak
1 ½ T butter
1 T cognac
2 T sherry
1 T sweet butter
1 t chopped chives
Directions:
1. Trim the meat well and pound very thin with a mallet.
2. Heat the 1 ½ T butter in a flat skillet. Add the steak and cook quickly, turning once.
3. Add the cognac and flame. Add the sherry and the butter creamed with chives.
4. Place on plates and pour the pan juices over it.
With this I served Artichokes Flan from a recipe supplied in a Wegmans flyer.
Ingredients:
1 T EVOO
1 12 oz. pkg., frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 C seasoned croutons
2 C heavy cream
5 large eggs
1 t sea salt
Black pepper to taste
2 t chopped Italian parsley
Directions:
1. You will need 6-8 ramekins, depending on the size. (I used a special pan that I found at Williams Sonoma for making breakfast dishes where you fold bread to make a holder for eggs, etc.) A large size cup cake pan would work also. Depends on how many you want to serve.
2. Preheat overt to 350 degrees.
3. Spray ramekins with cooking spray. Spoon the artichokes and croutons in the bottom of the ramekins distributing evenly.
4. Make Custard: Whish together heavy cream and eggs in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley. Top ramekin mixtures evenly with custard. (This is the tricky part. The pan I used, each cup was 3 ½”. I got 8. Smaller, make more.)
5. Bake 35 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean. The tops should be lightly brown. Serve in ramekins or cool about 10 minutes to unmold.
Jim loved these. Luckily we did not have company as we only have 2 left.  I know what you are thinking, heavy cream and eggs?!  Well we were having steak.  Get your heart attack meal over in one night.
Jim served a fabolous Saint-Emilion Grand Cruse call Gracia, 1997. 

Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Mushrooms

I was leery about last night’s meal. I chose it as it had fennel in it. I love fennel. As I mentioned Jim did the shopping. The recipe called for spicy Italian sausage and he came home with hot. You all know by now how he reacts to anything on the spicy hot side. But it really was not hot at all. In fact he said, “I am really full, that was very good.” I started to clear the table and he said to wait he might have more, and he did. He kind of ruined the feeds 8. It fed 2 here with a little left over for lunch. I got this from the Fast and Easy section of the December, Bon Appétit.

Ingredients:
1T EVOO
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, heart removed and sliced thin. Save some fronds for garnish
1# spicy Italian Sausages, casings removed, coarsely crumbled
1 8oz package sliced fresh cremini mushrooms, mine were small, I quartered them.
4 large garlic cloves, pressed or chopped
1 T fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
½ C heavy whipping cream
1C low-salt chicken broth
1 16 oz dried tortellini with pesto or fresh with cheese filling. (We could only find the cheese)
1 5 oz package fresh baby spinach leaves
½ C finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving.
Directions:

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel bulb, sausage, and mushrooms; sauté until sausage is brown and cooked through and fennel is almost tender, 12-15 minutes. I gave the sausage a head start; and then added the fennel and finally the mushrooms.
2. Add garlic and fennel seeds; stir one minute.
3. Stir in cream, then one cup of broth; boil until liquid is reduced and very slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cook in large pot of boiling salted water the pasta until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. (Use package directions.)Drain and toss with the sausage mixture.
5. Add the spinach; toss gently until spinach wilts. Stir in the cheese and add more broth if needed. Sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds.
It said to season with salt and pepper at the end. That, to me was useless. I let Jim season his own meal with salt. I thought it was fine. He also added the extra cheese. If it had been the basil pesto, I would have added more cheese, but I thought it was cheesy enough.
Jim served a 2003 Viansa Cabernet. It was exceptional and probably all gone by now. Viansa makes great wines. Google them and join their wine club.
We finally got our Christmas letter out. Today I am wrapping and making goodies

Trader Joe's Seafood Sausage

Today I told Jim we have to go to the grocery store, my blog is becoming boring.  He said you make the list and I will go while you work on the Christmas letter.  We are so behind.  So I made the list and he took off.  I only got 4 calls from the store.  When he got home he was crabby as a bear.  I said, “Look, I said I would go and you wanted me to stay home and work on the letter and fix dinner."  He answered that shopping for our groceries is like being on a scavenger hunt.  Anyway after tonight, the meals should get interesting again.  While we were at Trader Joes last night I picked up their Seafood Sausage.  I fixed it tonight with asparagus and sweet potatoes.  Jim bit into the sausage and said, “This tastes like seafood.”  Yes, I answered, because it is.  Trader Joe's seafood sausage is very good.  I served it with baked sweet potatoes and again the last of the asparagus.  Only this time I used basil EVOO. 

Easy Lamb Chops

Today I should have gone to the grocery store, but Jim brought to my attention that Burlesque with Cher was leaving the theaters and was only available in a theater in Fairfax. We went. There were four people in the theater, Jim, me and two other ladies. I thought the movie was very good. The music was great and Cher was wonderful. When it comes out on DVD, we will buy it.
Dinner, we did not get home until around 7:00 PM. Max, who demands to be fed at 5:30 PM, was waiting at the door. We had stopped at Trader Joe’s on the way home. Don’t know if Jim’s cousin Jo reads this blog, but the clerk was highly impressed with the wine bag you gave him. We bought the Mac and Cheese Bites that were toted in the last flyer. The checkout clerk said have you tried these? No, I answered, they are great he said. Our opinion, dull, wouldn’t buy again. It is not good Mac and Cheese and in a tasteless crust. We actually stopped to buy Max the Chicken and Sweet potato treats. He thinks these are to die for. The rest of dinner was lamb chops. We did them on our inside grill top for the stove. Jim told me that when it is this cold outside, he has trouble bringing the grill to temperature. Is this true? Or does he not want to stand in the freezing cold for 20 minutes. It took longer, but Jim watched the internal temperature and they were perfectly done at 140 degrees. I still have asparagus as Jim bought it at Costco and tonight I served it with orange EVOO which I like better than lemon. Jim served a Robert Mondavi, 2001, Cabernet Sauvignon. It smelled Devine and tasted even better.

Trader Joe's pork roast

For those of you that love Trader Joe’s, I have a great instant meal.  Trader Joe’s Port Roast Florentine.  This was in the latest flyer and I said to Jim as he was going for a wine run last week, pick this up.  It sounds good and I want to try it.  Today was a hard day for me.  It was the memorial for my friend Sally and John, her husband, asked me to speak.   I have spent weeks preparing the speech and also looking through photos to send for the memorial.   I was the first to speak after John, her daughters Heather and Courtney.   John said he wanted to speak first get all the tears over first.  I set my champagne glass on the podium and said I may need a whole bottle to get through this.   All laughed.  I then said that John asked me to speak first to get the crying over.    I never once in practice made it through my speech with our breaking into what Oprah calls the ugly cry.  Somehow today I did it.  Maybe Sally was with me.  At one point I started to choke up.  I took a sip of Champagne and it did not help.  I said Jim, “You are supposed to say keep going.”  Jim said, “Keep going, and they all laughed, it helped and I made it through.  I was so surprised at all that came up to me after that said I really captured Sally, Jim said I did the best job, and it was he who c coached me for days.   Anyway back to the food.  The Pork Roast Florentine is great.  It says serves 3.  Ok, you know by now it is gone.  I did my usual asparagus in the microwave and made Jim garlic mashed potatoes.  I put small potatoes in a pan with two garlic cloves and after boiling for 20 minutes mash with 1 T butter and light cream.  Jim loves mashed potatoes and does not object to skins in the potatoes.  We are now into Christmas and trying to get all the presents to all who have been so supportive through this ordeal.                  

Chicken and shrimp Dumplings in Green Oion-Shitake Broth

Serves 4 really excellent meal and easy to prepare from Sunset magazine, December.
Ingredients:
3 ½ qts. reduced-sodium chicken broth. (I empted my freezer of home made stock.)
1 ½ t soy sauce
½ # shelled, deveined shrimp, chopped
½ # ground chicken
2 green onions, thinly sliced, tops and bottoms divided
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 t toasted sesame oil, divided
1 t each minced fresh ginger and Sricacha chili sauce
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
4 square egg roll wrappers, (6” wide)
4 fresh shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. Combine broth and soy sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to barely a simmer.
2. Mix shrimp, chicken, onion bottoms, garlic, 1 t. sesame oil, ginger, sriracha, salt and pepper in a bowl. Arrange egg roll wrappers on a work surface. (I always wear surgical gloves when dealing with mixing ground meat and shipping into these large meatballs.) Shape chicken-shrimp filling into 4 balls and put 1 ball on the center of each wrapper. Moisten wrapper edges with water and pull up all 4 corners of each wrapper to the center. Working from center down, pinch edges together to seal tightly, forming 4-sided pyramids.
3. Lower dumplings gently into broth, cover, and simmer until cooked through, about 8 minutes. In last 2 minutes of cooking, add shitakes. Spoon each dumpling into a bowl and ladle broth on top. Sprinkle with onion tops and remaining 1 t sesame oil. (I put the sesame oil and onion tops in the broth before adding the dumplings. Worked fine)
Jim pronounced this the best won ton soup he had ever had. He ate the 3 of 4 helpings. The wine he served was excellent from Vina Robles of Paso Robles; a 2009 Verdelho, a Portuguese varietal, it was a dry, refreshing white with aromas of melon and citrus.

Soup, Salad and Snow

Wednesday we went next door for dinner. We had a lovely evening and enjoyed our time with our neighbor, her children and their fluffy white dog. Max gave us the once over upon returning home and was not happy. Thursday I woke up to snow falling. Not a bad snow, just enough to be annoying to drive in but give the illusion of a white Christmas. For dinner I made soup and salad. The soup, Carrot and Leek Soup with Herbed Croutons came from the December Fine Cooking magazine, serves 6
Ingredients:

6T unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 small leeks sliced (light-green and white parts only)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
3C chicken broth
2# carrots, sliced ¼ “thick (how idiotic, your Cuisinart has a slicing blade, use it)
2 dried bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2C crusty bread cut into ½” cubes
1 ½ T chopped fresh chervil (I have never found fresh even in Wegmans)
1C plain yoghurt
Directions:
1. I did not make the croutons as I had some that were very good from Wegmans. If you do make them heat the oven to 350. Melt 3T of butter in a sauce pan and add the bread cubes and chopped chervil. Toss to coat evenly. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and bake until golden, 8-10 minutes.
2. For the soup, melt 3T of butter in a 5 qt. saucepan. Add the onion, leeks, garlic, ½ t salt and ¼ t pepper, cook until softened and light golden brown, about 10 minutes
3. Add broth, carrots, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and ½ C water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the carrots are tender about 15 minutes.
4. When the vegetables are tender, discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. I used my immersion blender to puree the soup. (With the leftover soup, I am going to use my regular blender as I thought it was too chunky. I should have used a deeper pot as I was decorating the kitchen with soup while using the immersion blender.)
5. Stir in the yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with croutons.
The soup was pretty good, not outstanding, but according to Jim, carrots are never good.

Mushroom and Soft-Cooked Egg Salad with Hollandaise, Serves 4, 30 minutes, Sunset magazine, October
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
3T melted butter, divided
1T EVOO
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
4 oz each chanterelle and oyster mushrooms, cut into 1” pieces
½ t salt
½ C crème fraiche
1 ½ t Dijon mustard
1 t. each lemon juice and zest
6 cups of watercress
Pepper
Directions:
1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, gently submerge eggs into water. Simmer 5 minutes, then carefully immerse in cool water.
2. Heat 1T of butter with the oil in a 12” frying pan over medium -high heist. Add mushrooms and sauté until browned about 8 minutes, then season with salt.
3. Whisk together crème fraiche, mustard, lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in remaining 2T butter to make hollandaise sauce. (This hollandaise not only worked, I could have licked the bowl.)
4. Divide watercress among plates. Top with warm mushrooms, then drizzle with hollandaise. Crack an end of each egg and peel a quarter of shell. Using a spoon carefully loosen eggs from their shell. Using a spoon, carefully loosen eggs from their shells and scoop out onto salads. Add a few turns of pepper on top.
This salad was perfect with the soup. The watercress was peppery against the mushrooms and egg. Knowing Jim I had divided this in thirds and have none left. I rate this one a must try. If you can’t find watercress in your market I would recommend arugula as an alternate.

Cavatappi with Artichokes and three Cheeses

I have finally caught up and tonight’s dinner was a winner. We were a little disappointed that we could not find Cavatappi pasta. When in TN we went to a really good restaurant and I had it there. I remember because Pam said it looks like macaroni. I said, yes, but it is a double turn. Anyway, Jim really liked this recipe and said shame on Wegmans. If they can have Cavatappi in TN we should have it in VA. Serves 4 (unless Jim is eating.) This recipe is in the Dec/Jan Fine cooking.
Ingredients:
Kosher Salt
1 lemon
1 T unsalted butter
1 T EVOO
½ C chopped shallot
1 9 oz package frozen artichoke hearts, cut into ¼ “slices while frozen
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes
Coarsely ground black pepper
½ C thinly sliced chives
2 T thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
12 oz cavatappi.
½ C mascarpone
½ C mild goat cheese
½ C finely grated Pecorino Romano.
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. From the lemon grate 1 ½ t zest and squeeze 1T of juice. Heat the butter and oil in a 123” skillet over med heat until the butter has melted. Add the shallot and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the frozen artichokes, red pepper flakes, ½ t salt and ¼ t pepper. Cook until the artichokes are golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chives, mint and lemon zest.
2. Add the three cheeses to the artichokes with the heat off. Add the pasta to the skillet when done and ½ C pasta water; stir to combine.
We did add more pepper at the table, but no more salt.  Very good pasta

Chicken, Kiwi, and Mango Salad

This recipe was not successful for Jim. He would have liked twice the chicken or half the fruit. I liked it, but then I don’t consider fruits and vegetables poison. This easily serves 4 and even though it was in the December Bon Appetite, best for warm climates.
Ingredients:
2T finely grated ginger
½ C mayonnaise or yogurt
1T fresh lime juice
1 t finely grated lime peel
2C cooked diced chicken from store bought rotisserie chicken
1 ½ pounds large mangos peeled, pitted, cut into ½” cubes (I used frozen, thawed and drained)
1 ¼# kiwis, peeled, cut into ½” cubes
1T sliced fresh mint
6 C chopped romaine lettuce
¼ C roasted salted cashews, halved
Directions:
Place grated ginger in small strainer set over bowl. Press on solids to extract 4t of ginger juice; discard solids in strainer. Stir mayo, ginger juice, lime juice, and lime peel in the bowl. Add chicken, mango, and kiwi. Divide lettuce among four plates or bowls and divide mound the mixture on top. Garnish with cashews and mint.

Sunday Supper

I am many dinners behind. Saturday we went to a belly dancing recital that Sally’s daughter was in at Georgetown University. It was great fun and I think Jim enjoyed it too much. Sunday we finally got to the grocery store and I finally cooked. From the La Mere Poulard Cookbook that I bought in France we had the best Cream of Mushroom and Chestnut Soup I have ever made. Serves 4, but Jim ate it all.
3.5 oz Chestnuts, peeled. ( I had already peeled left over from T-day)
3.5 oz button mushrooms
1 ¾ pt chicken stock
7oz light cream
Juice of 1 lemon
1 pinch of Nutmeg
2 shallots, finely chopped
I T butter
Salt and pepper
Thoroughly wash the mushrooms and then pat dry. Sweat the shallots in a pan with the butter and then add the whole mushrooms and chestnuts. Add the lemon juice and grated nutmeg and then cover with the stock and cream.
Cook for thirty minutes.
Season the soup with salt and pepper and transfer to a blender. Let cool and then blend. I put it back in the pot and kept on warm until the rest of dinner was ready.
I think this is one of the best cookbooks I have ever bought.
I served this with Rosemary Pork with White Beans. It serves 6-8, but is easy to cut in half. With half recipe I had a little left over for lunch the next day. The recipe came from the Washington Post.
Ingredients:
3-4 T EVOO
2# boneless pork chops
1 large onion, cut into ¼” dice (2 Cups)
Salt
1 ½ C tomato puree
2 C chicken broth
1 T sugar
Ground black pepper
¾ C dry white wine
2 cups cooked cannellini beans (I used canned, drained)
10 sprigs rosemary wrapped and tied in cheesecloth to form a packet
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 1 T of EVOO, then place over medium-high heat. Add enough of the pork cubes to fill the pan without crowding. Brown the pieces of meat in batches, not crowding so they brown. Transfer each batch to a bowl. Add more oil as needed.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2T of EVOO over medium high heat in a large (5QT) Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery and salt to taste; reduce to medium and cook for 5 minutes stirring until the vegetables soften. Add the puree, broth, salt and pepper to taste. They also said add the sugar now. I did not add sugar. I did not get the point. Increase the heat and stir to combine. Heat until bubbling at the edges. Add the browned pork cubes. 4. Return the skillet to med-high heat. Add the white wine, then use a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits from the bottom. Transfer to the Dutch oven and add the beans. Submerge the rosemary packet in the liquid. Once it starts to bubble cover and transfer to the oven for 1-1/2 hours.
Very good. 

Best American Restaurant

Some of you are probably wondering where I’ve been. I’ve been traveling again, this time enjoying the foods of the US. We made quick trips to NC and TN to visit friends and also to work with our architect on our new house. We enjoyed many good places in both states.

On the way home as a Christmas present to each other, we stopped in Chilhowie, VA and had the meal of a lifetime in the Town House. John and Karen Shields are the chef owners and the food is not only tasted wonderful, it was gorgeous to look at. We also stayed in the Riverstead which is their 2 bedroom bed and breakfast. We were the only ones there and had this beautifully restored farm house to ourselves.



When you book a room it comes with a 5 course meal. Jim wanted 6 courses. We also chose the wine pairings. Their sommelier did an outstanding job. I highly recommend that you not only go here, but add the wine pairings.

Our first course was Chilled Vegetable “Minestrone.” This dish is nothing like you have ever seen. It was tiny cylinders of partially cooked beet, zucchini, radish, carrot and something red and white, sliced paper thin and standing up at all the same height. At the table they added the best tasting vegetable broth I have experienced. The wine pairing was an Austrian Gruner Weltliner Hirsch.

The second course I would never have ordered and it was my favorite. Main Loster and Cream from the Shells, young coconut, pumpkin seed oil, horchata , tonka beans. It looked like snow covering the lobster medallions with a very pumpkin taste to the cream. This was served with a German Spatlese. Again, it was perfect.



The next course, you have to see to believe. Peekytoe Crab in
Brown Butter & Lime, with onions, dried scallop, banana,
milk skin, vegetable crab meat. Yes milk skin cut in a perfect square
with onions that looked like shells. It was served with a

Spanish Albarino.

The piece d’ resistance was the Squab Breast cooked in Smoked Butter, beets, cured green strawberries, rose petals, wild allspice.
The squab was like butter in your mouth. At this point we had had
beets in two dishes. Jim commented on that fact. I told him not to
worry his skin would be beautiful in the AM.

The pairing was a 2006 Gigondas. This was a stellar wine.









Jim needed another course so we added Scrambled Egg Mousse, smoked char roe, sorghum, sweet spices, preserved ramp. This was paired with 10 year old Madeira. I thought the sommelier had lost his mind. The dish was very salty tasting and the sweetness of the Madeira with it just has to be experienced.

Finally dessert, it was so gorgeous to look at. Here is what we ate. A Curd of Sour Quince Juice & Olive Oil, black pepper, dill, Douglas fir ice cream, toasted meringue. Yes, Douglas fir ice cream! This was served with a sauterne.
We were chauffeured to and from the restaurant.
The B&B was supplied with wine, hors de hovers and cookies. Breakfast was a special tart of figs and gorgonzola cheese, poached eggs, granola, and fresh squeezed OJ.
John and Karen both worked at Charlie Trotters in Chicago. In fact Karen was the pastry chef when Jim and I went there for our 40th anniversary. John also worked at Alenia Restaurant in Chicago.
The restaurant and lodging is a steal at the price. I hope to go back again and again. The chef told us it is so hard to create a good menu in the winter. If this was his idea of not great, I want to be there in the summer and early harvest.

(left-over) Cranberry Thumbpint Cookies

We had the soup last night with turkey sandwiches.  Today I did not get up until noon.  Jim thought I was dead.  The soup was really good.  We had enough left over for tonight.  Today was pay the bills day.   After that I mad Cranberry thumbrints Cookies.  It is a way to use up the cranberry sauce.  But they are not great, but OK.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ifyou have chunky sauce, break it down in your food processor. 

1. Beat 1 C unsalted butter amd 3/4 C packed light brown sugar together in the bowl of a standard mixer until smooth.  Stir in 1 t vanilla extract.  Add 2 1/2 C flour, 3/4 t cinnamon and ground allspice plus a pinch of salt.  Stir in 3/4 C pecan pieces.  
2. Form dough int 11/2" balls and set 1" apart on a greased baking sheet.  Use your thumb to press a well into center of each cookie.  Spoon about 1/4 t sauce into each well.  Bake cookies until light golden brown 12-15 minutes.  

They are OK, not great.  However I forgot the cinnamon and ground alspice plus the pinch of salt.  Should not cook when I am tired and depressed.  I lost a good friend to brain cancer yesterday.  Sally was the smartest person I have ever known.   

The Last of the Turkey

Boy, am I cooked out. After breakfast I broke up the turkey skeleton and put it in a large pot with onions, carrots, celery and all those herbs I had to buy in quantity and didn’t quite use up for turkey day dinner. For dinner we will had leftovers. We still have tons of leftovers even with Max helping us eat them up. As soon as the soup cools we will be straining it and storing overnight to get the fat out.
I couldn’t post last night as something went wrong with the internet. I made the soup and cooled it over night. Today, after removing the fat, I added celery, carrots, turkey and white beans. When the soup is served you sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. I got this out of Sunset magazine.

Saturday with Friends

Last night we had visitors from Michigan, school mate of Jim’s. I decided to do Mexican assuming that all would be tired of Thanksgiving type goodies. For appetizers I recreated two from Thanksgiving, the cheese with honey and nuts and the crab artichoke dip. I also served nuts and olives and was supposed to serve Guacamole, but it is still in the refrigerator; should have made a list. Our main dish was wonderful, however I will warn you that it takes every pot in the house plus some you had to wash out and reuse. This can be a vegetarian dish, but I added leftover turkey.
Pumpkin Enchilada Casserole with Red Chile Sauce and Poblano-Pepita Salsa, from Fine Cooking Magazine
Serves 6-8
For the Sauce:
3 oz. dried California chiles (who knows, but I found ones called Anaheim, what could be more CA than the home of Disneyland.)
¾ oz. dried ancho chiles
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 t. dried oregano
1T EVOO
1T all-purpose flour
1T light brown sugar
Kosher salt
For the Filling
2T EVOO
1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice
4 large garlic, finely chopped
1T ground cumin
3 C ½ “diced peeled, seeded pumpkin (be sure to use pie pumpkin, not a jack-o-lantern)
½ C chicken or vegetable broth
2 C diced leftover roasted turkey or chicken (optional)
Kosher Salt
For Assembly:
EVOO
10 6” corn tortillas
3 C packed grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 recipe Poblano-Pepita Salsa
Crema Mexicana or Sour Cream for serving
Make the Sauce:
1. Stem, seed, and rinse the chilies. Put the chilies, garlic, oregano, and 3 cups water in a 3 QT. saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chilies and the garlic are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 30 minutes, Puree in a blender. (Peeling and seeding the chiles should be a man’s job. My hands were a mess. Anything from this sauce that does not make it in the blender turns whatever it hits red. Put blender jar in the sink and pour in the sauce. Make sure it is very cool as if this blows the blender lid, your kitchen is history.)
2. Heat the EVOO in a 4 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until it begins to color, 2-3 minutes. Carefully stir in the chile mixture-it will spatter-and bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar and 2 t. salt. Keep warm. (I put it will sputter in italics as this is a gross understatement. I had red spats from the ceiling to the floor. I was close to loosing it at this point, when Jim offered to clean up.
Make the Filling:
1. Heat the EVOO in a 12” skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until nicely browned, about 11 minutes. Add the garlic and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin and stir to coat. Lower the heat to medium, add the broth, cover, and simmer until the pumpkin is just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the turkey and season to taste with salt.
2. I had cut the pumpkin in half and roasted it skin side up for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Eliminates the very difficult peeling process. Mine were not perfect cubes of pumpkin, but no one seemed to notice. I did add the broth; I used turkey broth, and kept it on warm.
Assemble:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9x13 pan with EVOO. Spread ¾ C of sauce over the bottom of the dish.
2. Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush lightly with oil. One at a time, heat 5 tortillas until softened and pliable, about 1 minute per side. Arrange the griddled tortillas over the sauce in the pan.
3. Spread1/2 C sauce over the tortillas. Spoon the filling evenly over the sauce and top with 1 C cheese. Drizzle ½ C sauce over the cheese.
4. Heat the remaining tortillas on the griddle. Arrange the tortillas evenly over the sauce, filling, and cheese.
5. Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake until the cheese bubbles and the casserole is heated through, 30-35 minutes. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving with the salsa and sour cream.
I assembled by 3:00 and just topped with wax paper until I was ready to cook. I started about 10:00 AM and was done by 3:00. That did not include Jim helping with clean up along the way. Also you are not done yet. In the middle while waiting for steps to finish I made the
Poblano-Pepita Salsa
Yields about 2 ½ Cups
2 medium poblano chiles
1# tomatillos, husked and rinsed
½ C unsalted, roasted, hulled pepitas (I roast my nuts by putting them in a skillet and keep stirring. When half look light brown I turn off the heat and keep stirring. Never leave the stove for a minute while doing this)
¼ C packed chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher Salt
1. Char the chiles over a gas burner or under a broiler until blackened on all sides, 6-8 minutes. I do mine stove top and stick a long fork in them to keep turning. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic, and cool. Peel, stem, seed, and finely chop the chiles.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tomatillos, turning occasionally, until dark brown in spots, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
3. Coarsely chop the pepitas in a food processor; transfer to a medium bowl. Without washing the processor, add the tomatillos and process to the consistency of a chunky sauce. Transfer to the bowl with the pepitas, Stir in the chiles, cilantro and salt to taste.
I just put the cilantro and peppers in at the same time as the tomatillos and let the processor do the work.
This meal was excellent. Worth the work and mess, and I do mean work and mess. Serve with the Sour Cream and Salsa.
Next dessert, this was a winner Just double or triple the recipe to save you the time of making it over and over again. It said 6 servings, but I only got 4.
Maple-Pecan Sundaes with Candied Bacon, Bon Appetite, October 2010.
4 bacon slices
2T pure maple sugar, divided
¾ C pure maple syrup-preferably Grade B
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T finely chopped crystallized ginger
½ C pecan halves, toasted
Vanilla ice cream
1. Preheat oven to 44 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place rack in the center of the foil. Lay bacon slices on rack. Sprinkle 1 T maple sugar evenly over bacon. Bake until sugar is melted about 8 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1T sugar over same side of bacon. Bake until bacon is deep brown and glazed, 12-14 minutes longer. Remove from oven.
2. Preheat broiler. Broil bacon until sugar on top bubbles thickly, watching closely to prevent burning, 1-2 minutes. Cool bacon completely on rack. Cut into ¼” dice. (I just broke mine in small pieces with a knife. Don’t use thick bacon but not too thin either as the sugar will not have time to melt before you burn the bacon.)
3. Combine maple syrup and cinnamon sticks in deep medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to ½-3/4 C, about 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks.
4. Mix lemon juice and ginger into sauce.
5. Stir pecans and bacon into the maple sauce.
6. Scoop ice cream into dessert dishes. Spoon sauce over and serve.
I’ve never tasted a better sauce for ice cream ever.

Thanksgiving "Instant Replay"

Today is all leftovers, except for the corn that was forgotten in the oven. So I thought I’d write a little about how I assembled the dinner menu. The recipes came from many different sources. The first recipe for the Crab and artichoke dip came from Sunset Magazine. The pesto stuffed mushroom caps came from Viansa and couldn’t have been easier. I bought large white mushrooms and took out the stems. I cleaned 12 of them and filled the centers with 1 jar of Basil pesto from the store. I baked them for 20 minutes at 400 degrees and sprinkled each with finely grated Parmesan cheese. I left them in the oven for the cheese to melt a few minutes. These were a great hit. The goat cheese idea also came from Viansa also. Open up the package of goat cheese and place on a plate. Pour the honey on top and top that with roasted very thin sliced almonds with the brown edges. I served it all with thin French bread slices that had been toasted with EVOO that I bought from Wegmans.
I always wet brine my turkeys. I usually just buy the brine from Williams Sonoma. Jim always cooks the turkey in the grille. This year after drying it I rubbed the skin with a mixture of butter, Herbes De Provence, salt, pepper and EVOO. This recipe came from Penzeys catalogue. The turkey was moist and delicious. Jim kept basting it with chicken broth. He cooked a 20# turkey in 3 hours. I made the gravy with Wonder Flour, pan drippings which were not greasy as we used mostly chicken broth for basting. I supplemented it with the turkey broth I had made the day before. The stuffing came from Sunset Magazine and was the best I have ever made. The whipped Sweet potatoes and bananas with honey came from FoodTV chief Tyler Florence and the year was 2006. I still like the kind with marshmallows on top better. The roasted Brussels sprouts with wild mushrooms came from Fine Cooking Magazine. These were a huge hit and super easy.
Sweet bourbon corn pudding came from an article in Parade Magazine. The green beans were just coated with the EVOO, salt and pepper and cooked in the microwave. I sort of added them for color. The pan-roasted balsamic onions came from Martha’s TV show in 2007. I was really looking forward to this and they were good, but I’ve made better with less nonsense. The Cranberry Pomegranate Terrine also came from Food TV, 2008. I have enough left over to feed an army.

Finally dessert. I got so much grief from Jim for making two pies. “I’m not going to stuff myself,” said the man who had two helpings of everything at dinner and ate a piece of each pie with whipped cream. The first was an apple and blackberry combination. It is the picture on the left. The fall leaves are the millions of little leaves cut from pastry covering the apples as only Martha could dream up. The pumpkin pie was the best ever and came from a Sharon Klein of Milwaukie, OR, published by Sunset Magazine. This one was very easy and I decorated it with 2 sizes of leaves, an acorn and a pumpkin.
With appetizers Jim served Domaine Dublere, Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er Cru – Les Chaumees, 2006. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to fill the wine cellar with this wine. For dinner we had Reillys, 2007 old bush vine Grenache, just wonderful. I was extremely pleased with the taste of dinner and that the timing I planned worked perfectly.

Turkey Day, best ever

How can I say this was the best dinner I have ever made.  I guess that Heather and Nick should chime in.  I cooked til I dropped on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Today was all finish work and I was so organized it was amazing.  It was a breeze today.  The turkey was to die for.  The stuffing could not have been better.  I think I still like sweet potatoes with marshmallows best, but these were really good.   We have tons of cranberry sauce left over, but Sunset Magazine has a cookie recipe for it.  Everyone loved the pies.  I only had room for the apple blackberry and it was wonderful.  The mushroom appetizer was wonderful.   It totally overshadowed the other two which were equally great.  The Brussels sprouts were a winner.  Jim served wonderful wines.  Withe the appetizers we had Domaine Dublere Chassagne-Montrachet 2006.  With dinner we had an old bush vine Grenache by Reillys, 2007.  Here is hoping that yours was as good as mine.  
However no one will ever know how good or bad the Sweet Bourbon Corn pudding was.  I was talking to my brother and Mary said she made a corn casserole.  I said so did I, wait a minute.  I was working on the Brussels Sprouts  and  gravey and asked Jim to get all the items on hold out of the overn.  The corn is still there. 

Wednesday, went really good.

Yesterday was harder than today.  I think it was due to the pies.  Today I made the sweet potato recipe first except for final coking.  I next make the corn pudding.  I totally cooked it and will set it on warm tomorrow.  I made the stuffing and will cook it tomorrow and also the artichoke crab appetizer.  I have set the table and will start the final baking and keeping all partially cooked dishes for the table tomorrow, on warm as I finish them.  This has been so organized and I loved cooking it all by myself.   I sure hope it tastes good.

We were going to go out for dinner, but I was beat and took a pasta dinner out of the freezer that I had made previously.  Jim ate it all and all the soup from a previous dinner for lunch.  Not much of an appetite today.  A long time friend dumped on me last night and it was a hard day.         

Thanksgiving preparations

Day 2, countdown to Turkey day.
First I will give you the menu. I am not going to type in all the recipes as it would take me hours that I need to cook, but if anyone is interested in a recipe and I will email it to you.

Thanksgiving 2010

Appetizers

Warm Crab and Artichoke Dip with French bread

Pesto Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Goat Cheese with honey and Roasted Almonds

Main Course

Brined Turkey with Herbes de Provence and Gravy

Rye Bread Stuffing with Sausage, Pears, and Chestnuts

Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Bananas with honey

Roasted Brussels sprouts with wild mushrooms and cream

Sweet Bourbon corn Pudding

Green beans with lemon EVOO

Pan-Roasted Balsamic Onions

Cranberry Pomegranate Terrine

Dessert

Apple Blackberry Pie with Fall Leaves

Pumpkin Streusel Pie

Day 1 went well. I accomplished all I needed to do to finish by Thursday. I made both pies and the cranberry terrine. I made the onions and will warm in the microwave on Thursday. I chopped the bread to dry, brined the turkey and made the turkey stock for the gravy.
Today I started with the sweet potatoes. I made them up to the 20 minutes required in the oven again and will do that on Thursday. The corn dish is fully cooked and will be warmed tomorrow. I am now on to the Brussels sprouts and, the dip and preparing the Mushroom caps for filling and baking tomorrow. I will finish the day by setting the table and combining all the stuffing ingredients.  You will have to wait until Thursday night for tasting comments. 

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday night we went out to dinner in The Plaines at Griasole. Dinner was very, very good. I had a pear and arugula salad and Jim had Escargot, for starters. As we were finishing our appetizers, Robert De Valle walked in with his latest honey. He was in black jeans and a black leather jacket. He had a baseball hat on to cover his bald head. She was dressed all in beige with a beautiful casmire cape. The chef’s wife, who is the hostess, hovered at their table. You’d think they were movie stars or something. Jim had full view; I had my back to them. Jim said he must go out to dinner a lot as almost every time we are in The Plains, he shows up. For my main course I had Ossa Boca. It was wonderful. The pasta was good but kept slipping and decorated my blouse. Jim had venison in cherry sauce. He finished my Ossa Boca and said he liked his but mine was better. Jim finished with chocolate, chocolate cake.
Yesterday we went to the Washington Craft Show. The prices were outstanding. I did find a beautiful bench at a very reasonable price that Jim would not buy. We can spend $1200 on tires, but we can’t buy an outstanding piece of art for $1400. We had the left over Sausage soup for dinner along with the biscuits that I purchased at Williams Sonoma. I cooked them 10 minutes longer this time and they were still mushy in the middle. Jim concluded that there was just too much butter in them. I think they tasted very floury. I will not buy them again.
Today is Monday and the start of the melt down to Thanksgiving. Today we will shop and then go to dinner in Warrington. Monday is mussels night.

Five-Spice-Glazed Salmon with Sesame Green Beans

This meal comes from Fine Cooking. It was delicious and was easy to cut in half. I did use the full amount of green beans and did not weigh the 2 salmon fillets that I had in the freezer. Full recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:
¼ C honey
4 t reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 ½ t five- spice powder
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 6-oz salmon fillets, with skin on. Mine did not have skin on.
1# slender green beans, trimmed
2 t canola oil
1 t Asian sesame oil
Salt and pepper
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1 t lemon juice
Steps:
1. In a small bowl, whish the honey, soy sauce, five-spice powder, and garlic. Put the salmon skin side down on a large plate and pour the honey mixture over it. Flip the fillets so they are skin side up. Let the fish marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
2. Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, toss the green beans with the canola and sesame oils. Arrange the beans on on half of the prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the salmon skin side down on the other half of the baking sheet. Brush the salmon with any remaining marinade from the plate.
4. Broil the salmon and green beans for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, toss the green beans and reposition the salmon pieces as needed so that they cook evenly. Continue to broil until the salmon is just cooked through and the beans are crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Toss the green beans with the sesame seeds and lemon juice and serve.
I served with pre-packaged crescent rolls. My salmon took about 10 minutes under the broiler. The green beans were indeed crisp-tender. I might microwave them to done and then broil to add the color to the outside. I like beans that are less crisp. The marinade on the salmon was excellent.  Aside from easy to cut in half, it is a very fast meal.  We were everywhere today and didn't get home until 6:30 PM.  Poor Max, today was his 9th birthday and he didn't even get his dinner on time.  I did buy him boxes of treats from Trader Joe's and he really seems to like them. 

Viansa Fettuccini alla Boscaiola

So much to catch up on, I was too tired last night to write. We had a wonderful pasta meal from Viansa Winery. Warning, this is not low fat. It says 4-5 servings. We have about a half a serving left. Jim loved it and of course, fat means nothing to him.
Ingredients:
¼# fresh porcini mushrooms, sliced
1 small sweet white onion, coarsely chopped (mine seemed too big so I used half)
1/3 C Chardonnay wine
1/8 # pancetta, chopped (pre chopped at Wegmans)
1/8 # prosciutto, chopped (pre c hopped at Wegmans)
2 T white truffle oil and 3T for finishing
2 C heavy cream
1# fettuccini pasta
1 ½ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground white pepper (I used black)
Instructions:
In a large sauté pan add mushrooms, onion, wine, pancetta and prosciutto and 2T truffle oil. Cook until golden. Stir in cream, cook until medium viscosity. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and add to sauté pan. Add parmesan cheese and toss over low heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Finish with the 3 T of truffle oil.
This meal was so easy to make and I thought very filling. I definitely probably had 1/5th and was very full. Jim only eats lunch if I fix it for him, so he was starved as I was having a total meltdown from my disease. I did get the T-day dinner planned.

White Bean Fennel and Sausage Soup

This recipe came from my friend Linda. We were in the grocery store and she wanted to know if we wanted fennel or broccoli for dinner that night. I said fennel and told her the story of Jim, my Mom and I being in a market in Italy and my Mom spotting fennel. She had never seen it before, but my Father had been in Italy during WW2 and wrote her about this wonderful plant that made everything taste better. She recognized it by his descriptions from years ago. This recipe is delicious and easy. The copy I have says Low-Fat cooking, Food & Wine. I do not have a year or date. Serves 8. I made the whole thing and have put the rest in the refrigerator for the end of the week.
Ingredients:
2 t EVOO
1 # sweet Italian sausage, skinned and crumbled
2 medium fennel bulbs, coarsely chopped
2 medium onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ C coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 C chicken stock
One 28 oz can Italian peeled tomatoes and their juice
2 C cooked with beans, such as cannellini or great northern, rinsed if canned
1 C cooked elbow macaroni ( I added more stock and dumped in ½ C of dried pasta)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Beyond soup:
Italian bread
EVOO
Parmigianino-Reggiano cheese
Chopped feathery fennel leaves
Steps:

1.   In a large heavy nonreactive skillet, heat the EVOO. Stir in the sausage and cook over high heat until well browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off all the fat. Lower the heat to moderate and add the fennel, onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook until the vegetables are just crisp-tender, 10-15 minutes.
2. If I had used a larger pot I could have added to this mixture. I had used a skillet, but not large enough. I added the stock and the tomatoes with their juice to a large pot and then spooned in the vegetables and sausage. Break up the tomatoes. I use scissors as they float to the top. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Next I added the beans and the pasta. I cooked for another 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile I cut up the bread and drizzled EVOO.  I topped with the cheese and fennel. On low and 2 rungs down I toasted the bread. I served the bread with the soup.
This meal is very good. Jim served a Gnarly Head Zin from Lodi, CA. Worked well

Crunchy Crumbed Cod with Frozen Peas

This is an absolute winner of a recipe. I got it from the Washington Post who got it from the new Cookbook, Radically Simple, by Rozanne Gold.
I could not find cod fillets today and I adored asking the fish monger for 4 matching 6 oz. fillets. Does not exist remember fish are natural not manufactured. Wegmans recommended Corvina Fillets as a match for cod, or halibut. I know what halibut tastes like and I chose to go with the Corvina. Needless to say that the fillets were all over the book in size and it took much longer to cook.
Ingredients:
4 scallions
1 large clove of garlic
Kosher salt
12 chive stems
10 oz. Frozen peas (not defrosted)
¼ C EVOO, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ C panko bread crumbs
4- 6 oz. thick cod fillets (we used 3, remember Jim east for 2)
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. I used non-stick.
2. Trim the scallions and then finely chop the white and the green parts with the 12 chive stems. Mince the garlic with a little salt to help break it down.
3. Combine the scallions, chives and frozen peas in a bowl. Add 2 T EVOO and mix. Add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread in the center of the baking sheet making a swath just large enough to act as a bed for the fillets. Place the fillets on top of the peas.
4. Combine the garlic, panko and the remaining 2 T of EVOO in a bowl, toss to evenly coat. Top the fillets with all the panko mixture, pressing down firmly.
5. Roast for 12 minutes. Mine took 25 minutes. Serve the fish atop the peas.
We also had the soup from last night. I was gone today, so Jim could not fix himself lunch. He ate 2 bowls of soup and 2 servings of fish.
Jim served a French white burgundy from Givry, 2007. It was absolutely wonderful.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

I believe this is the best soup I have ever made. This recipe came from the Dallas Museum of Art, Gallery Buffet Soup Cookbook. I actually bought the book in the Boston Museum of Art. Serves 8
Ingredients:
A small butternut squash, about 1#, I used the remainder of the squash from the other day. It weighed 2#, but it was the bottom with all the seeds. I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds.
3 tart green apples (this would be granny smiths. I hate granny smiths. I used golden delicious apples.)
1 medium onion
¼ t dried rosemary
¼ t dried marjoram (substitute is oregano)
3 cans of chicken broth
2 cans of water
2 slices white bread (I used 1 slice of hearty wheat as I rarely have white bread)
1 t salt
¼ t pepper
¼ C heavy cream (I used light sour cream)
Chopped parsley
Instructions:
1. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. After the soup cooks, you lift out the squash and scoop out the interior. Much easier than peeling squash. Peel, core and chop the apples, Chop the onion.
2. In a large pot combine all ingredients except cream and parsley. Bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes.
3. Remove butternut squash and scoop out the pulp and puree the soup until smooth. I used my immersion blender.
4. Just before serving add the cream. Sprinkle the parsley on each serving.
I served this with mini-pork burgers. If you follow me, this past summer I had a lot of pork that I ground and added different seasonings to from the Webber basket that I won. Out of the freezer it was 2 huge burgers. I turned it into 8 sliders as I had slider buns. Jim grilled them and we just used the mustard we brought from Paris.
It was a good combination. We had a Peltier Station, 2005 Petite Sirah from Lodi. I am still enjoying some as I write.

Veal Chops

Last night’s dinner was simple, but good.  Max is eating the chicken crock pot meal for dinner each night.  I am lucky that my dog eats people food.  I could not face that dish, it looked so awful.  Sometimes when I really screw up I have trouble getting going again.  So I thawed 2 veal chops, I had potato chive pirogues’ in the freezer also along with green beans from our garden.  Jim grilled the chops.  I simply salt and peppered them.  I baked the pirogues and then put melted butter on them.  The green beans were cooked previously and then frozen.  They were still good.  Jim served a Chalone Vineyard 2006 Pinot Noir.  Simple meal and very good.        

Autumn Herbed Chicken with Fennel and Squash

I thhink I am giving up on the crock pot. You have to get up too early in the morning to make the menus by dinner. This recipe came from Costco who is trying to sell a new crock pot with a black interior. Before I give you the recipe I will tell you what happened. I got up and took the chicken out of the freezer to thaw. My trainer came at 11, yes, I do not do mornings. I did them for years while working. After she left, I relaxed with water and read the paper. Then I went into the kitchen and started the chopping. After finishing the chopping, I decided I was not going to bread and fry the chicken, too much of a mess for me. So I threw it all in the crock pot and hit low at 7 hours, totally oblivious to the time. At 5:30 PM I went into the kitchen to feed Max and realized that we would be eating at about 11:00 PM. Jim said no way and that is how last night’s dinner came about. It did not look that it would be done at even the time, as I had skipped the frying step, so I boosted the time. I forgot about it and went to sleep. When I awoke this AM, I could smell it. I went in the kitchen and realized it had been on warm all night. I said to JIm, sitting and eating breakfast, “Can’t you smell this? “ Yes, he says, it smells good. I had to leave, but at that point you could not iID squash, fennel, or chicken. I turned it off and left to go shopping. It is to be served over rice. I had rice soaking so when I came home tonight, I cooked the rice. I honestly thought I was eating garbage. Jim thought it was a "hearty beef meat meal." Should we ever get the Crockpot clean again it will be a long time before I use it. Following is the recipe. If you get up early and follow the rules, maybe it is good.
Ingredients:
3-4 # chicken thighs, I used chicken breasts as Jim does not like dark meat
Salt and black pepper
All-purpose flour
2T EVOO
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
½ butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ “cubes
1 t dried thyme
¾ C walnuts
¾ C chicken broth
½ C apples cider
Cooked rice
¼ C fresh Basil
2 t fresh rosemary, finely sliced
Preparation:
1. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with flour. (I did this) Heat oil in skillet over medium heat until hot. Brown in batches to prevent crowding. Brown on each side 3-5 minutes, turning once. (Id did not do this) Transfer to slow cooker
2. Add fennel, squash an thyme. Stir well to combine. Add walnuts, broth and cider. Cover, cook on low for 7 hours. (This is where the problem started.)
It kind of looks like barbeque, so Jim will get it for lunch all this week. My crock pot is retired. Jim served a wonderful Vioansa . 2006 Syrah.  I will take that again by not the stew. 

Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp

I often screw up and today was one of those days. I was going to start this dish yesterday and Jim wanted to go out to dinner as he had a birthday coupon about to expire at his favorite restaurant. So we went out to dinner on a Wednesday night. We had a great time and a great dinner. This AM as soon as I could arise I took the chicken out of the freezer for the Crockpot dinner. My trainer came and then I rested and drank water. Next I started the preparation. When I got through the chopping and preps and turned it on, dinner was going to be really late. However, I was oblivious and just pushed the button. About the time I was feeding Max, (5:30PM)I realized looking at the timer on the Crockpot that dinner would be ready about 11:30 PM.
So phase 2.
I thought of all the things in the freezer and the easiest would have been salmon or lamb chops. Jim had lamb chops last night and I was not in the mood for just plain salmon or catfish. I knew I had frozen shrimp so I thought Scampi. I opened up my book of unused recipes and out fell Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp by the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. Perfect, I divided this recipe in half. It serves 6.
Ingredients:
2# (17-21 count) shrimp peeled and deveined. My shrimp were the right size and did not need peeling. They had tails that I left on.
Good EVVOO
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1# angel hair pasta ( I used Ink squid pasta)
4 T unsalted butter, melted
2 lemons, zested and juiced
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with 1T EVOO, ½ t salt and ½ t pepper. Toss well, spread them in 1 layer and roast for 6-8 minutes, just until they’re pink and cooked through.
3. Heat a large pot of boiling salted water, add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. I actually started the oven and the water at the same time.
4. Drain the pasta, Quickly add to the pasta, the melted butter, ¼ C EVOO, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 t salt, 1 t pepper and ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the shrimp and serve hot.
I served this with a salad. Jim loved this meal. He actually said, "Please serve this again." I believe that the ink squid pasta made it better. I really enjoyed it.

I am looking at the Crockpot and realize that it is enough to serve an army.

Chicken Salad with Balti Seasoning

Sometimes I choose a recipe as it looks interesting and sometimes it is because of an ingredient. I was looking through the Penzeys Spices catalogue and came upon a spice called Balti Seasoning. It says it is deliciously spicy but not too hot.
They had a recipe for Balti Chicken Salad. I made it today for lunch. Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 C cooked, cubed chicken or turkey
½ C plain non-fat Greek yogurt
3 T mayonnaise
½ C chopped cashews
¼ chopped apricots
¼ C chopped golden raisins
½ C green peas
1 t Balti seasoning mixed with 2 t water
8-12 slices sandwich bread of your choice.
Leafy greens
Instructions:
1. I cooked 2 chicken breasts in the microwave as I did not have leftovers but plenty in the freezer. I cut it in cubes and mixed it with the yogurt, mayonnaise, and seasoning.
2. I did not have the apricots, but the creator of the recipe for Penzeys said he made it up with what he had in the cupboard so, I used ½ C craisins with orange fravor instead of the apricots and raisins. Craisins are dried Cranberries. Anyway just mix it all together and place on bread with green leafy lettuce. You could also just eat it on lettuce.
Our take was that it was good, but did not get a sense of what Balti seasoning really tastes like. I am making a chicken crock pot recipe for dinner and it seems to be a little dull in the spice department. I will wait until it cooks a little more, and may add it to the crock pot.

Cleaning Day Pasta

I forgot to write last night, but Donna was right, The Sweet Potatoes with Red Beans was better the second night after I let it cook longer. Not cooking it on low was a problem. If you cannot cook it on low, wait until you can. She also agreed with Jim in the need for more beans. She doubled the recipe as she has 3 football players in the house. Double the beans would have been 28 oz. She had a 40 oz. can. She said it was perfect.
Today was clean the house day. It was horrendous. Luckily I had pasta and more of the Basil tomato sauce that Jim liked. Look back about a month for the recipe. I served it with Adele Italian sausage. We had a special wine that that was given to us by Sandy and Dave. Jim says this is an example of the bottle being worth more than the wine. It was a 2001 Jacob’s Creek, Shiraz Cabernet from Australia. It was decorated with a big red, white and blue bow, over a Christmas ornament. Under that carved in gold is Peace on Earth and the name of Dave’s Company that makes a special kind of fishing boat. I think we stored it the right amount of time as it was very good.

Sweet Potato Stew with Red Beans

I did not give this recipe my best attention today. This comes from my trainer who got it from a friend named Carlee. I should have started it sooner and cooked on low instead of high. I think it needed low.
I was distracted by the news that a long time friend is not going to recover and is in hospice. It has been a short time between diagnosis of brain cancer and the end.
I needed some supplies to make Max’s meatballs and as I was not in the mood to go on the planned art tour and out to eat asked Jim to also pick up these ingredients for dinner. As I loaded everything into the Crockpot, I realized that on low we would be eating at 11:00PM. So I switched to high. It makes a lot so I am cooking it some more on low and will report on it again tomorrow. Jim liked it but felt it could use more beans.
Ingredients:
2 10 0z cans diced tomatoes with mild green chile
1 16 oz can of red beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 oz can of vegetable broth
4 C cubed sweet potatoes, about 1 ½ #
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion chopped
½ C water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
½ t salt
½ t ground cumin
¼ t ground pepper
Small pork loin or I used 2 very large boneless pork chops
3 T creamy peanut butter
Directions:
1. Combine the first 12 ingredients in a 5 qt. slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Spoon ½ C cooking liquid into a small bowl and add the peanut butter and stir well.
4. If you add the pork loin at the end of the cooking time, shred the pork and stir it back in the stew.
My trainer also added crushed red pepper. However every time I add this to anything Jim complains, too hot.  Jim definitely thought the sauce was very flavorful. I thought the pork was tough and felt if on low, the sweet potatoes would have absorbed much more of the flavor. My pork chops were too lean. I would definitely use a pork loin and cut maybe in quarters depending on the size. According to Carlee the stew had too much meat with the whole one. Donna said she doubled the recipe and used 4 pork chops  I also would finely chop the onion and red pepper in my food processor.  The onion was not finally chopped enough.  Again lack of attention on my part.  .

Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans

I know I said I would not be cooking tonight, but I decided I did not want to go out to dinner as Jim just wanted to go to someplace local, not new and exciting. Jim and I both agree that this was very good for us, good tasting, but not very exciting or something we’d make again. I got this from an online blog called “Worth your Salt “that is written by a niece of a friend of Jim’s.
Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 15 oz can of low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced ( I used one can of diced tomatoes, drained)
1 T EVOO
1 t cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t kosher salt
¼ C rescued-fat sour cream
¼ C reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1. Place cleaned sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes are cooked through
2. While the sweet potatoes bake, combine the black beans, tomatoes, EVOO, cumin, coriander and salt in a pan. Stir well so that the beans and tomatoes are evenly coated with the spices. Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until heated through.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and split lengthwise. Spoon the bean mixture into the center of each potato. Top with sour cream and cheese.
I would however recommend this to people who go out a lot, do not like to cook and do not eat healty at home.  It is fast, tasty and very good for you. 

Leftover Night

I have tons of the soup from yesterday and it is cold and raining.  So we are having that as a side dish and spinach and feta sausages.  I know that I am going to get a few days of eating out, so it may be Monday before I cook again.  Sometimes it is good to go out.   

Soup Dinner

When I first moved to CA I meant my friend Marrilyn while walking our dogs. Marrilyn eventually figured out that I liked to cook and one day she asked me what my favorite thing to cook was. I said soup. She said she was very surprised. I feel soup is very complex. There are a million different recipes and variations of a recipe. Jim liked this recipe; I thought it was a little boring. I got this from the Nov. 2010 Penzeys Spices flyer. The photo looked great. I was a little put off by the canned vegetables. I generally do not like anything that comes out of a can. Maybe if you use fresh or frozen corn and green beans it would be better. I also used the cream instead of the additional whole milk. It was too creamy.
Three Sisters Green Chile Potato Soup
Ingredients:
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 C whole milk
2 C heavy cream, or I would recommend just additional whole milk
1 t salt
8 strips of bacon cut into 1” strips
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1T ground cumin
1 t oregano
1 14.5 oz can sweet corn, drained
2 C cubed zucchini, (I medium zucchini)
3 – 4.5 oz cans of green chilies
1 t ground pepper
1 c pepper jack cheese, optional
To begin, I made a mistake. I only bought one can of chilies. When I pointed this out to Jim, he was relieved that I did not put all the chilies in as he does not like anything remotely hot. I recommend the two more cans. I did not add the cheese as it was so thick and creamy. Use the milk, forget the cream and add the cheese.
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Add the milk and salt and heat over medium heat. (Do not boil)
2. In a skillet, cook the bacon and onion until the onions are translucent and tender. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Drain the mixture and then add to the pot along with the corn, zucchini, beans and chilies.
4. Cover and simmer for over med. heat for 15-20 minutes.
5. Taste and add more pepper and salt. Mine probably needed more S& P as I did not have enough peppers.
Serving size says 12-14. I’d say as a first course. Serves 6, as a full meal.
Jim served a Viognier, 2008 Vina Robles. It was much better than the soup. But again the soup was probably better if you read the directions carefully and follow them.