It's almost mango season in Florida. The trees are laden with fruit and are just waiting to ripen to perfections. Soon.

Mangos are a great fruit and excellent source of Vitamins A and C, as well as a good source of Potassium and contains beta carotene. Mangos are high in fiber, but low in calories, fat and sodium.

Mangos are great with fresh fish, chicken, and pork as well as many other meats and foods.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced and remove seeds (use gloves)
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
2 Tablespoons red pepper, diced small
1 small cucumber, peeled, diced, remove seeds, about 1 cup
3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (more if you love it as I do)
4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (fresh is best)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 avocado (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
1/2 avocado (optional) If the salsa seems too hot, the avocado will temper the taste
Serves 4-6

Sometimes recipes call for a hot sauce. Perhaps you have bought one at the store. I have a great recipe from St Thomas USVI for a hot sauce. One of the people who I knew when I lived in St Thomas gave me a small bottle of her mother's West Indies hot sauce. I loved it and asked for the recipe. There was no recipe, her mother just put a little of this and that. So I sat with her as she made the hot sauce and wrote down the recipe as best I could. I have used this many times and it is always a great hit. I named it after the creator of the sauce. Most tables in the West Indies serve a variation of this recipe on their tables. This sauce is very hot and you should use it sparingly until you get used to it. I have added it to soups, stews, sauces and curries. Enjoy

Gloria's West Indies Pepper Sauce

1-5 Habanera chilies

1/2 cup cider vinegar ( or use malt vinegar)

1/2 cup water 1 medium Vidalia onion, cut in chunks

1-2 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1/2 Tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 Tablespoon dry ground mustard

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Grind the Habanera peppers, onions, ginger and garlic in a food processor or food chopper.

Place in a glass bowl.

Combine vinegar, water and salt and pepper in a pot and bring to a boil for 1 minute.

Pour boiling mix over pepper mixture.

Allow to cool just a little.

Slowly add olive oil, honey and spices using a wire whisk.

Put in a glass sealable container ( I use a pint canning jar that has been cleaned with hot water.) Shake well.

Leave in the refrigerator in the closed container a few days.

It will get spicier the longer it sits. It can be refrigerated for 6-8 weeks with the lid on tight.

I started out with one Habanera chili in this recipe, then I added a second and I've stayed there. But you can work your way up to 5 if you can take the heat.

I like mine just fine at 2 Habanera chilies.

What to do with all those leftovers from the Holidays that are in your freezer or refrigerator?
Let's work on that.....What can I make? Now that the holidays are over, my refrigerator or freezer is stuffed full with leftovers. I have two ham bones from parties, veggies of all kinds from appetizer trays, different cheeses, fruit, and much more.

Now that the weather is cooker, cold in some parts of the county, my thoughts turn to SOUPS. There are some many different types of soups, I could write a book about them. (That is going to be my next cookbook--about soup making) But for now, lets try to get rid of the ham bone with something quick and easy and get rid of some of the veggies.

How about a split pea soup with ham bone and veggie? Let's get started.

Split Pea Soup

1 pound green split peas (in a bag)
2 Tablespoons oil
10 cups of chicken broth or other vegetable meat broth
2-3 small white onions, chopped
3 carrots diced
1 cup celery, chopped
Optional: left over veggies that are in the refrigerator (Some suggestions could be Lima beans, peas,green beans, asparagus, zucchini, carrots, or other)
Bay leaf
Parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Ham bone with pieces of ham chopped

Wash and drain peas
Put oil in a large soup pot and saute onions, carrots, celery
Simmer for about 5 minutes until onions are transparent.
This is the time to use some of those left over veggies. Chop or cut and add
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.
If you like a smooth puree peas soup, but in the food processor, or just leave it as it is-chunky. I prefer it chunky.
Serve with crusty bread or croutons
Serves 6-8

Next time I put something new on the website, I will discuss what to do with cheese leftovers.

What are the three recipes that might go with your turkey?

Well, I had asked you about the three recipes that might go with your turkey or ham dinner for the holidays.

We talked about and I gave you the recipes for Cranberry Chutney two weeks ago and I asked you to try the Roasted Brussels Sprouts last week. I sure hope you did. I think you would have enjoyed them. What is the third recipe I thought would go well with your holiday meal? I had suggested Pineapple Souffle. It is easy to make and really adds a great taste to ham or turkey. So, I have included the recipe below. I hope you will try this and I hope you really enjoy it.

Pineapple Souffle

1 16 oz can pineapple, crushed and drained
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar ( I use just a little less)
1 stick butter or margarine
4 slices white bread (cut off crust, break into pieces)

Cream butter and sugar
Add beaten eggs.
Then fold in pineapple
Put in casserole dish.
Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.
Serves 4-6

This recipe is easily doubled for more guest. I use it often for parties.

I hope these three recipes will give your holiday meal some new tastes. Enjoy and stop back real soon.

List of recipes for holiday turkey and ham

Do you remember the three items on the list of recipes for holiday turkey or ham?
The first was Cranberry Chutney and the recipes is underneath this blog.
The second--Roasted Brussels Sprouts. We are going to have the recipe right below.
The third will be December 21--Pineapple Souffle--check back then.

Now don't stick your nose up about Brussels Sprouts. When you roast them with oil and garlic they are really d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. Just give them a try. Even my kids like them.

Are you ready.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and extra leaves removed.
2 Tablespoons roasted garlic in a jar (use more if you like garlic as much as I do)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Another 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lime pepper or regular pepper
Salt

Preheat oven 400 degrees.
Place Brussels sprouts, 3 Tablespoons oil, garlic and pepper in a re-sealable plastic bad.
Coat Brussels by shaking the bag.
Coat baking sheet with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Place coated Brussels sprouts on baking sheet in the center of the oven.
Roast for 5 minutes then turn them and roast another 5 minutes, turn and roast another 5 minutes.
The Brussels sprouts should be a dark brown roasted color. You may need to leave in for another 5 minutes and turn.
Serves 6-8

Well, I hope you like these as much as my family does. Stop back around December 21 and check out the last recipe on the list--Pineapple Souffle.
Happy Cooking.

Try something new with your holiday dinner!

Can you name three recipes that will go with your holiday turkey or ham that you haven't made in years past? Here are my picks:

1. Cranberry Chutney--check below for the recipe.
2. Roast Brussels Sprouts--check back on December 14, 2010 for the recipe
3. Pineapple Souffle--check back on December 21, 2010 for the recipe

Instead of the usual Cranberry sauce from a jar or cranberry mold, why not try something different and new. It's quick and easy and adds a lot of color to your table!

Cranberry Chutney

4 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped apples--I like Grannie Smith's best
1/2 cup chopped pears
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chopped walnuts ( or use your favorite nuts)
2 Tablespoon minced candied ginger
2 Tablespoon lemon juice (fresh is best)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon onion salt

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Stir continually so it does not stick.
Then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes
Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Makes 4-6 half pints.



I hope you will enjoy this new and fun recipe for your holidays.
Stop back on December 14, 2010 and see how to cook Roasted Brussels Sprout.

The Squash

Check out the places that Connie Hope is Book Signing and selling books at Bazaars and Fair at the very end of these articles. She would love to see you there.


The fall is associated with either pumpkins or squash. I love using vegetables that are in season as they are much fresher. Let's visit a little history about 'the squash.'

The word 'squash' is derived from 'askutasquash', which literally means 'as green thing eaten raw' in the language of the Nahahiganseck Sovereign Nation. These are Native American who lived in the Narragansett Bay area of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts and even down into more states on the eastern shore. Squash was one of the 'The Three Sisters*' planted by the Native American.

Some squash can be eaten raw, while others are cooked. They can be pureed for soups, cakes, pies, and breads or sauteed, steamed, boiled, baked and fried. However, squash are really a fruit. Fruit have seeds on the inside as a tomato does, but are used as a vegetable. In addition to the flesh, other parts of the plant are edible. The squash seeds can be eaten or they can be ground into paste or pressed for vegetable oil. The shoots and leaves can be eaten as greens and the blossoms are good in cooking.

More about squash in the next article. Here is a favorite of mine.

Hubbard Squash Soup (or Butternut Squash Soup)
1 Tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced fine
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 garlic cloves, diced fine
1 quart vegetable broth, or chicken broth or water
4 cups Hubbard or butternut squash, cubed and cooked until soft in boiling water(2-3 squash)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon mace
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream ( or soy milk thickened with flour and water) The cream is optional. I like it
just as well without it.

Heat olive oil and saute the onion, scallions and garlic until golden.
Add the broth and simmer 15-20 minutes.
Add the squash, salt, pepper, and mace.
Simmer for 15 more minutes.
Put into a food processor and puree.
Add the heavy cream (or soy) optional.
Continue to simmer until heated throughout.
Garnish with a chopped scallion or a dollop of sour cream or Pesto or...use your imagination.


* The Three Sisters were the three main plants used for agriculture by the Native American: maize (corn), beans, and squash. They were planted together. The cornstalks provided support for the climbing beans and shade for the squash. The squash vines provided ground cover to prevent weeds, and the beans provided nitrogen for all three crops.


Recipe by Connie Hope from my new cookbook, In Addition...to the Entree. It is now available for purchase.