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.

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!

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