May is a great month.  The weather is warming, the trees and flowers are popping up in the garden and winter is behind us.  May is known for Mother’s Day—very important day. Also May 1 is May Day.  May is National Smile Month and National Barbeque Month.  It is also known for Clean Air Month and Get Caught Up Reading Month.  I had a hard choice between National Sweet Vidalia Onion Month or National Salsa month.  I chose the latter—National Salsa Month.  So here is a fun recipe for Salsa

Watermelon and Cucumber Salsa   (for two)

2 slices about ½ inch thick watermelon, cut in small pieces

½ English cucumber or regular cucumber seeds removed

¼ cup cilantro chopped fine (or mint leaves or basil)

Juice from ½ medium lime (or more if you like lime)

1 packet sugar substitute

Mix together

Serve on fish, chicken or anything

Variation:  if you want more of a salad combination add:

1 teaspoon wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup feta cheese ( or bleu cheese or gorgonzola cheese)

Whisk the vinegar and olive oil together.

Drizzle over the watermelon mix

Add the cheese. 

ENJOY!

APRIL

April is a great month.  The weather up North is getting warmer and it is warm and sunny and great in Fort Myers, Florida.  April has April Fools Day and that is always fun for playing a funny trick on someone.  It is Alcohol Awareness Month and Jazz Appreciation Month.  National Pecan Month and many others.  It is also Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage Month.  So I figured I would use the Cabbage idea and see what I can find.  I grow cabbage and there is one just about ripe so I will use it in this soup.  This is a soup that ‘sticks to your bones’.  It is thick and rich and very tasty.  Hope you enjoy. There are not a lot of spices in this soup, but you can always add some parsley, or just a little rosemary to change the favorite a bit.

 

Polish Meatball Cabbage Soup

2 heads cabbage-cut in quarter cuts then sliced thin

6   14 oz cans diced tomatoes or tomato sauce

1 large onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is best)

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 Fresh tomato, cut in quarters

2 beef cubes in 1 cup boiling water

Mix for meatballs (see below) 

 

To make meat balls:

2 pounds fat free ground meat (or turkey ground meat)

3 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

½ cup cooked rice

 

Combine meat ball ingredients and roll into meat balls.

I put then in the microwave and just heat them a little to

make sure as much fat is out of them.  Place them

    on a paper towel. (You can also use  pre-made meatballs.)

For Soup:

Combine  all ingredients except meat balls.

Cook slowly for several hours.

Add meat balls and cook for 1 hour more.

Serves 6-8

 

January 2015 A great New Year!

January is the start of a new year….2015.  It will be a great year.  Here’s a few funny items  for the month.  January is National Stalking Awareness Month. It is also ‘Be Kind to Food Server Month’, I wonder if that includes us at home as well as at a restaurant.  January 20-26 is ‘Clean Out Your Inbox Week;.  Now that is a really good idea.  It is also National Soup Month.  What could be better than a warm bowl of soup?

I love the taste of this soup.  I like to add additional cilantro. Your choice.  The beans are very flavorful in this soup.  The lime adds a tangy flavor with just a hint of cinnamon and cumin and cilantro.

Here’s what I do about chicken and chicken broth.  I get a roasted chicken from the store and have it for dinner.  Then with the leftovers bones and all I put it in a pot with about 8 cups of water and maybe a little chicken bouillon cubes and cook for 3-4 hours slowly.  This will make a great chicken broth.  I use some in this soup and freeze the rest for another pot of soup.

This is the main soup in my novel, The Bonnie Neuk Tea Room: Friends and Uninvited Guests (Ghosts) Victoria Storms serves this in her tea room.  Check out my website at www.thebonnieneuktearoom.com

White Bean and Lime Chicken Soup

2 Tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can  (7 oz) green chilies, chopped

1 Tablespoon  cilantro, chopped

1 small Jalapeño pepper, remove veins and seeds *

1 can (29 oz) can white beans (navy and/or Great Northern)

1 can (29oz) diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

Dash of cinnamon

Lime juice from 1 fresh lime (use a reamer)

1 cup chicken pieces-cut in small pieces

8 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute butter, onions, and garlic in a large soup pot until translucent

      about 10 minutes.

Add the chopped Jalapeño pepper and green chilies and

      saute with other mix for 5 minutes on low heat.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes and beans to onion mixture.

Add cilantro, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and  diced tomatoes.

Simmer for 30 minutes

Add lime juice and pieces of chicken.

Heat for 5 minutes until chicken is warm.

Serve with garnish of cilantro spring

Serves 4-6 

* If you don’t want the soup too spicy eliminate the Jalapeño pepper

 

 

 December

The website I have used for all my ideas and what a month is known for is not available any more.  I really loved that site and had lots of fun on it.  December is a very important month.  It is the holidays!  But what else is the month known for?

December is also known as National Write a Business Plan Month, and Gluten Free Baking Week of Dec 12-20 and National Cookie Day which is December 4^th.  But it is also Root Vegetable and Exotic Fruit Month.  What the heck is a root vegetable?  I did this late December.

A ‘Root Vegetable’ is any underground part of a plant—the root.  This part is the starchy tuber or taproot of the plant.  If we let them be they would provide the plant with needed nourishment to thrive.  Instead, we pull them up and eat them.  What are a few examples of root vegetables?  Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, yams, and carrots to name just a few.  I know I discussed the rutabaga several months ago, so let’s take a closer look at the carrot and what we can do with that. 

This is one of my aunt Jane’s favorite recipes.  She gave it to me and said to enjoy it and I really have.  So I named the recipe after her.  Let’s see what we can do with a carrot.

Aunt Jane’s Carrot Salad

1 lb fresh carrots, cooked (It is about 3-3 ½ cups or you

        can substitute 2 cans of carrots)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion , chopped

½ cup sugar

½ cup vegetable oil ( or olive oil)

½ cup vinegar (use your favorite)

1 can tomato soup

Slice fresh carrots and cook until crisp.

Mix the other ingredients, then add carrots last.

Tastes better if it is made the day before.

Serves 4-6

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.  Very easy and very tasty.  It gets better the longer it is made.

Wow, it’s October and the frost is on the pumpkin…..well, we’re in Florida and I guess we don’t get frost, at least not this early.  But October is known for many things.  Some are fun: some are funny: some are important.  October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Please have your mammogram.  I had mine on my birthday month.  It’s important.  On a happier note, October is Spinach Lovers Month and National Book Month.  Since my novel comes out this month, it’s a great month for me.  Yes, I’ve written a novel, The Bonnie Neuk Tea Room.com .  It’s also National Country Music Month.  And best of all is National Chili Month.  Do you know how good a pot of chili can taste? Let’s give it a try.  You can temper it to your taste.  Hot and spicy or mild.

Chili with a Little Heat

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground turkey or ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes

2 celery stakes, chopped

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (either the light or

       the dark beans)

1 small can chick peas rinsed and drained (optional)

1 can  (29 oz) tomato puree *

1 jalapeno pepper, de-veined, seeds removed, chopped if

        you like

2 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon thyme, oregano and rosemary, crusted

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 beef cube dissolved in ½ cup water

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

1 Tablespoon onion, chopped for each bowl garnish (optional)

In a soup pot, cook ground turkey or ground beef, onions, green peppers  celery, and garlic, medium heat with a little olive oil.

Drain any excess fat.

Add beans, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, chili powder,

    cumin, beef cubes, Worcestershire sauce and all species.

Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.

Cook for 30-45 minutes or until you reach the desired thickness.

Serve in bowls with shredded cheddar cheese on top

Serves 4-6   Next day it’s even better.

* If you prefer very chunky chili, use another can of diced tomatoes in place of the tomato puree.

Variations: Use any one or more.

• Add 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon instant coffee, and 1 Tablespoon baking cocoa
• Add 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• Add 1 can (15oz) garbanzo beans drained
• Add 1 can pork and beans
• Add 1 Tablespoon cumin
• Add 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
• Add 1 cup chunky salsa either red or verde (green)
• Add 1 can sliced olives, drained
• Add 1 can Great Northern beans
• Add ½ pound sausage, fried, cut in 1 inch piece and drained

Chili is something that you need to fit to your taste. Anything goes.  I have added a few green beans, some turkey sausage or any vegetable.  Experimenting is the name of the game.

September

September is upon us.  The summer has gone quickly and we are looking forward to the cooler weather. 

September is known as Eat Chicken Month, and National Honey Mouth.  Here’s one that really relates to me,  Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month.  My first novel, The Bonnie Neuk Tea Room:  Friends and Uninvited Guests (Ghosts) is available  this month, so please be kind to me.  It is also National Mushroom Month which would be fun to do, but I figured we’d go with National Rice Month.  Rice is easy to cook and you can make things fast using it. And most people like it.  Try this for a quick meal.  It can be served with hamburgers or hot dogs or most meats.  Enjoy!

Italian Rice Salad

3 cups cooked rice, cooled

1    6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, un-drained and quartered

1/3 cup drained pitted ripe olives, quartered (you can use black or green or mix them)

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

½ cup sliced celery, chopped

½ cup sliced green onions

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ frozen green peas (or you can use canned)

¼ cup prepared Italian dressing or make your own

¼ tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. 

Toss to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Stir before serving.

Serve in a fancy