In spite of the unusually poor tomato season this summer (mild summer translates into not enough heat for their ripening) we have still managed a bountiful harvest from our garden. And while the taste of our raw garden tomatoes might be oddly unspectacular at the moment, they still cook up into something wonderful. Of course, in our book everything is better with bacon, which is probably why we like this soup so much. Yukon Gold potatoes are preferred because they hold their shape well and don’t disintegrate into the soup the way Russets can.

Continue reading “Tomato, White Bean, Bacon Soup” »

From Simply Recipes.

Porkchops with Mushroom Bourbon Cream Sauce

Watch out. This mushroom bourbon cream sauce is so addictive, you’ll want to eat it by the cupfuls. Mushrooms and onions browned, then cooked in wine reduction, then a reduction of stock and Bourbon, then cream. Basil is added at the very end. Oo la la. This recipe is from my father’s recipe collection (cut out from magazines – can’t tell which one this is from). We’ve made it a few times. The one thing you might have trouble with is getting the sauce to thicken. It takes a strong boil to reduce all of that liquid, but it’s worth it.

Continue reading “Porkchops with Mushroom Bourbon Cream Sauce” »

From Simply Recipes.

Baked Potatoes with Ricotta

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes of your choice
Dash of olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp chives, chopped
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°Fahrenheit.

Put the potatoes on a large baking tray, prick them with a fork and brush with olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until cooked.

When they are cooked, cut the top parts of the potatoes off, take the flesh out, while leaving a 1/2inch of the shell. Put the shells back into the oven and cook for another 10 minutes.

In the meantime, mix together the ricotta cheese, the potato flesh, garlic, chives and parsley and add salt and pepper to your taste. Add the filling to each potato shell and put them back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

Once baked, serve with sweet chilli sauce and enjoy with a green salad!

White Peppermint Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
3 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions:

Place the chocolate in a large microwave safe measuring cup.  Add the mil and whipping cream.  Stir in the peppermint extract.  Microwave the cocoa on high for 5 minutes.  Remove and stir until the chocolate has completely melted.

Serves 4 or in our case 2 really big cups of the yummy stuff.

Apples and Squash Soup

Ingredients:

3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups water
1 butternut squash, cut in half and seeded
3 green apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

Pour the water and the broth into a large soup pot. Place the squash, apples and onion into the broth. Sprinkle in the rosemary, marjoram, salt and pepper. Stir to combine the ingredients together. Place the pot of medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a complete boil. Turn the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 50 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove the squash from the soup. Take the pulp out of the peel. Place the pulp back into the soup. Puree the soup in small batches in the blender until it reaches a smooth consistency. Place the soup back into the soup pot. Place the pot back over medium high heat and return it to a rolling boil. Once boiling well remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Serve warm after garnishing with fresh parsley.

Honey Chicken Wings

3 pounds of chicken wings
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of honey
1 tsp ginger
1/2 stick of butter

Boil the chicken wings for approx 20 minutes. In a saucepot, combine the rest of the ingredients and let reduce until a thick sauce is formed.

Coat all of the chicken wings with the sauce and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Deviled Egg with Olives

• 6 hardboiled eggs
• 2 Tablespoons of vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons of prepared mustard
• 2 Tablespoons of olives
• 2 Tablespoons of oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the eggs into half from top to bottom. Remove the yolks into a small bowl and mash them, then, mix in the same bowl the vinegar, mustard, oil, salt and pepper. Pour into the egg whites the mixture and put the olives on top.

Peach Bread

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 1/4 cups pureed peaches
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Cream together the sugar and shortening, followed by the eggs, mixing thoroughly after each one. Add the peach puree and the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla and chopped nuts, blending carefully until blended. Pour these into two greased and floured bread pans. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour in 325F oven. Allow the bread to cool for several minutes before removing from the pans, and then cool completely before slicing.

The recipe below calls for egg substitute – it’s a great healthy way to whip up an omelet, but you could of course also make this omelet with fresh eggs. For a healthier version in that case, use mostly the egg whites and just a few yokes.

Spanish Omelet

Ingredients

Two baked potatoes (diced)
2 cups of fat-free egg substitute
1 large tomato (seeded and diced)
2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
One large onion (minced)
2 teaspoons of margarine

Instructions

1) In a large non-stick frying pan – cook the potatoes, onions, tomatoes, parsley, and garlic with the oil – set over medium heat. This is continued until most of the liquid has evaporated from the tomatoes.

2) Transfer the ingredients to a large bowl. Stir in the eggs.

3) Wipe out the frying pan, placing it over medium-high heat and letting it stand for about two minutes.

4) Add 1 teaspoon of margarine and spread out by swirling the pan.

5) Add half of the egg mixture, lifting and rotating the pan so that the eggs are evenly distributed.

6) As the eggs set around the edges, lift them to allow uncooked portions to flow underneath.

7) Lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook the omelet until the top is set.

Invert the omelet onto a serving plate, cutting into wedges.

9) To make a second omelet, repeat the steps using the remaining teaspoon of margarine and egg mixture.

Tip : This also makes a fabulous lunch with a little side salad. I’ve even been known to serve this for dinner.

This relish is also great with some fresh tomatoes or grilled veggies. Top some slices of fresh French bread for a tasty appetizer.

Cucumber Relish

2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
Salt
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Wash, peel, and remove seeds from cucumbers. Dice cucumbers and set in a fine mesh sieve over the top of a bowl. Salt and allow to drain for one hour. Pat cucumber dices dry with a paper towel and place in a large bowl. Combine onion, bell pepper, mint, vinegar, garlic, jalepeno and sugar with cucumbers and toss well. Cover and allow to chill in refrigerator between one and four hours prior to serving. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and stir well.