Salmon Mouse with Dill Sauce

Salmon Mouse with Sour Cream Dill Sauce

2 cans salmon
¼ cup cold water
½ cup boiling water
1 envelop unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon grated onion
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon chopped capers
2 cups cottage cheese, fine curds
Salt and pepper to taste

Soften the gelatin in cold water.
Add the boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved and let cool.
Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, Tabasco, paprika, salt and pepper and mix well.
Chill.
Add the salmon and capers and beat well.
Whip cream and fold into the salmon mixture.
Put into an oiled fish mold.
Add cottage cheese to fill the mold and mix gently.
Chill to set.
Un-mold on a serving platter and garnish with watercress, and lemon slices.
Pour sour cream dill sauce over top (see recipe below).
Put crackers or small slices of rye bread around.

Sour Cream Dill Sauce

1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of sugar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated onion
2 Tablespoons cut dill
1 ½ cups sour cream

Beat the egg until fluffy and add lemon.
Add remaining ingredients and blend in the sour cream last.Stir until blended and chill, pour on top of Salmon mold.
This takes a little more work than most of my recipes, but it is well worth it. It looks great and tastes even better.
Hope you enjoy.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

1/4 cup minced onion
2 Tablespoons minced leeks (white and a little green)
2 Tablespoon butter
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups fresh pumpkin, pureed after cooking until tender or
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 - 1/2 teasppon mace
salt and pepper to taste
half and half cream to think soup about 1/2 cup
hand full of croutons
Sprigs of parsley


Saute onions and leeks in butter until soft.
Add chicken stock and pumpkin.
Mix well and simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes.
Puree in blender until smooth.
Add seasonings and reheat.
Thin with half and half.
Garnish with croutons and/or parsley
Serves 4-5

Late Summer Salsa

Salsa is translated from Spanish as 'sauce'. It is used heavily in Mexican cooking. Salsa is perfect for summer and early fall eating and ideal for grilling and barbecuing food. Some salsas are made with fruits and others with vegetables. Some salsas are cooked while others are not. Salsas range from hot, delicately spiced to sweet and sour or just jot and sweet.

The most important element of a salsa is the freshness of the ingredients. Salsas bring color and variety to your dinner plate. For years salsa was just referred to as ' the bowl of brightly colored fruits and vegetables that you put on chips'. Not any more! It has come of age and stands by itself. Salsas are easy to prepare and can change a ho hum meals into a great meal.

Here is one to try. I love it!

Late Summer Salsa (Watermelon and Cucumber Salsa)

4 slices about 1/2 inch thick of watermelon, chopped into small pieces

1 cucumber (cut in 1/2 lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon) chop into small pieces

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped fine (I love cilantro in my salsa, so I often add more)

1/2 lime juice (Fresh is best)

1 packet of sugar substitute

Mix together .

Serves 4-6

Serve with fish, chicken or just about anything

You can subsitute chopped mint leaves or basil leaves for the cilantro. It does really change the flavor, but is very tasty. Experiement.

AUGUST IS MANGO MONTH IN FLORIDA

August in Mango season in Florida. There are mango trees laden with fruit just waiting to picked. Some right in my neighbors back yard. I think I'll just have a talk with her and see if she can spare a few.

Mangoes are a great fruit and an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, as well as a good source of Potassium and they contain beta carotene. Mangoes are high in fiber, but low in calories, fat and sodium. Mangoes are a good stable for your daily diet.

They are great with fresh fish, chicken, and pork as well as many other meats and foods. Here is a salsa that I use with our fresh caught fish.

Mango Salsa
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, remove seeds and veins and dice (Make sure you wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
2 Tablespoons red pepper, diced small
1 small cucumber, peeled, cut in half long wise and remove seeds--about 1 cup
3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped ( I love cilantro so I always add more)
4 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (fresh is best) or just cut one lime and squeeze
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 avocado (optional)

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


I have also made Mango Preserve and it is great!
Enjoy

July is National Blueberry Month

Blueberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C. They are also a good source of dietary fiber and manganese. Manganese plays an important role in the development of bones and in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fat. Blueberries contain substances that have antioxidant properties. These antioxidant properties help neutralize free radicals which are unstable molecules linked to the development of a number of disease including cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age related conditions. So it is the month to try new cooking things with Blueberries. Here is a new recipe to try and enjoy.

Blueberry Sour Cream Squares

1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1 egg
3 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 cups blueberries, washed and dried
16 oz container of sour cream
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake in a 9 x 13 pan.
Beat together butter and 1/2 cup sugar in bowl until fluffy.
Blend in one egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
Add to butter mixture and mix well.
Spread onto bottom of pan
Cover with blueberries.
Combine remaining sugar, vanilla, sour crea, egg yolks and cardamon.
Pour over blueberries.
Bake 50-55 minutes or until set
Do not over bake.
Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into square.
Decorate with several blueberries on top of each slice.

Add blueberries to your cereal,yogurt, pancakes, salads or smoothie.
See other blueberry ideas in Addition...to the Entree by Connie Hope under salads , jelly and jam and other areas for more ideas.

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.