May

May

It's starting to get warm and things lite and tasty are good.  Here is one of my favorite salsa recipes.
It can be served with fish, pork chops, and chicken cutlet.

Mango Salsa

1 ½ mango, diced

½ red pepper, diced

½ yellow pepper, diced

15 oz can pineapple chunks

½ red onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup honey

¼ cup molasses

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional) 

Put 1/3 of the mango into the blender and puree.

Combine with the remainder of the cubed mango.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate before serving.

Can be refrigerated for several weeks. 

March is a great month. Need something to serve that is warming to the body!

Lemony Chicken Soup with Orzo

Broth:

1 left over roasted chicken with 1-2 cups meat

12 cups water

2 bay left

4 teaspoons salt

Soup:

1 cup diced onion or leek

1 cup diced celery

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons toasted coriander seeds (or ground fine)

¼ cup fresh dill

½ cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

Zest from 2 lemons 1 Tablespoon

1 cup orzo

Garnish with sour cream and sprigs of dill (Optional)

2 eggs (if you want to try the variation to the left)

Broth:

Pour 12 cups of water over chicken carcass w/2 bay leaves

Simmer covered for 1-2 hours.

Strain over a large bowl, reserving stock and meat.

Let cool. Then separate meat from bones.

Soup:

In pot, saute onion  and celery in oil until tender,  5 minutes.

Add chicken stock and meat.

Add coriander seed, dill, and lemon zest.

Bring to a boil. Reduce.

Add orzo and let simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes.

Add the lemon juice. Heat for 5 minutes.

Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and sprig of dill.

January 2016

Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny means 'pepper water'.  It is an English soup after an Indian recipe.  It is based on an Indian dish (stew) that was changed into a soup for the fussy British soldiers when Britain rulled parts of South Asia and India during 1858 to 1047. It is rich, thick and smells wonderful cooking.  But it makes a lot of soup, so have friends over.

16 cups chicken broth
6 pounds chicken breasts, cooked, skinless, chopped
64 oz can tomatoes, cut up and undrained
4 cooking apples, peeled and chopped
3 onions, finely chopped
2 turnips, diced and skinned
6 carrots, chopped
6celery stalks, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
4 Tablespoons parsley, snipped just at the ends
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot combine broth, cooked chicken, undrained tomatoes, apples, onions, carrots, celery, turnips peppers, parsley, lemon juice, sugar, curry powder, ground cloves, and salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until veggies are tender.
Stirring occasionally.
 Serves at least 10 people

I hope you enjoy.  A friend gave me this recipe which I added a few spices.  Thanks Ginny!

October 2015 

 

The month of October in Florida starts to cool down just a bit.  It is lovely here.  October is known for many things.  First it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Very important—did you have your mammogram?  It is also Class Reunion Month.  Now this one is close to my heart as I have been running my high school class reunion which was in September.  It is also National Cookbook Month and again, this is close to my heart.  I have written a cookbook, In Addition…to the Entrée—it’s about the side dishes in life.  The one that I will work with today is ‘Go Hog Wild-Eat Country Ham Month’.  I love ham and love to cook with it.  In fact, it makes wonderful Pea Soup.  So with the fall starting and the cooler weather, let’s make soup.

Split Pea Soup

1 lb  4 ozs Green Split Peas  ( don’t use the artificial ham flavor packet that is in the bag)

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, diced

½ cup chopped celery

2 cloves of garlic

2 T olive oil

1 to 1 ½ cup chopped ham

Better than Bouillon Ham flavor 2 Tablespoons

10 cups of water with the bouillon added

1 teaspoon Colander

1 teaspoon Cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a soup pot, heat 2 T olive oil and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and chopped ham.

Stir slowly until veggies are soft.  Heat for about 30 minutes slowly.

Rinse the green split peas under running water for a few minutes or you can soak them

       for 10-15 minutes and drain.

Add the peas and stir.

Add the water (or you can use a chicken broth).  I put 4 cups of water in a measuring cup and add one

      Tablespoon ham flavored bouillon and mix.

Then I do another 4 cups and add the 1 Tablespoon ham flavored bouillon and mix.

Then I do the 2 cups added to the soup pot.

Add the spices and salt and pepper.

Cover and bring to a boil, then lower temperature and cook for an hour or so.

Let stand for 10 minutes.

Your choice.  You can leave the soup with pieces of vegetable and ham in it, or you can

   Put it in a blender and puree it.  I like it pureed, but your choice.

The month of October in Florida starts to cool down just a bit.  It is lovely here.  October is known for many things.  First it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Very important—did you have your mammogram?  It is also Class Reunion Month.  Now this one is close to my heart as I have been running my high school class reunion which was in September.  It is also National Cookbook Month and again, this is close to my heart.  I have written a cookbook, In Addition…to the Entrée—it’s about the side dishes in life.  The one that I will work with today is ‘Go Hog Wild-Eat Country Ham Month’.  I love ham and love to cook with it.  In fact, it makes wonderful Pea Soup.  So with the fall starting and the cooler weather, let’s make soup.

Split Pea Soup

1 lb  4 ozs Green Split Peas  ( don’t use the artificial ham flavor packet that is in the bag)

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, diced

½ cup chopped celery

2 cloves of garlic

2 T olive oil

1 to 1 ½ cup chopped ham

Better than Bouillon Ham flavor 2 Tablespoons

10 cups of water with the bouillon added

1 teaspoon Colander

1 teaspoon Cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a soup pot, heat 2 T olive oil and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and chopped ham.

Stir slowly until veggies are soft.  Heat for about 30 minutes slowly.

Rinse the green split peas under running water for a few minutes or you can soak them

       for 10-15 minutes and drain.

Add the peas and stir.

Add the water (or you can use a chicken broth).  I put 4 cups of water in a measuring cup and add one

      Tablespoon ham flavored bouillon and mix.

Then I do another 4 cups and add the 1 Tablespoon ham flavored bouillon and mix.

Then I do the 2 cups added to the soup pot.

Add the spices and salt and pepper.

Cover and bring to a boil, then lower temperature and cook for an hour or so.

Let stand for 10 minutes.

Your choice.  You can leave the soup with pieces of vegetable and ham in it, or you can

   Put it in a blender and puree it.  I like it pureed, but your choice.

June 2015

June is the start of the summer months.  Kids will be getting out of school and going to camps, on picnics and to the beach.  Life is a little less structured for summer, but we still need to have good, healthy food.  What is June known for?  It always makes me chuckle.

June is Country Cooking Month, and Effective Communication Month. It is Turkey Lover’s Month, and National Ice Tea Month.  And if you wanted to Ride the Bull Naked, June is the month to do it.  June is also Georgia Blueberry Month.  I love blueberries and they are so good for you and fun to use in food preparation. 

Blueberry Summer Salad for two

2 cups baby spinach leaves                                                    

¼ cup of blueberries                                                               

1 Tablespoon crumbled bleu cheese (can substitute Feta Cheese)     

1 or 2  Tablespoons  low-fat balsamic vinaigrette (to taste)

Salt and Pepper to taste         

Place spinach leaves in a low salad bowl.

Add the blueberries, blue cheese, and drizzle the salad

    dressing.  Serves 2-3

 

If you like blackberries. you can substitute them for the blueberries.  But it sure  tastes great as it is.  This and other recipes for many  salads are in my book, In Addition…to the Entrée.  You can get a copy from me anytime.