Goat Cheese, Date, & Pear Balsamic Field Green Salad

This salad is simply divine! Not only does it go well with a glass of wine & a buttered slice of fresh french bread, BUT you can also put it on top your freshly baked homemade cheese pizza! enjoy!

Goat Cheese, Date, & Pear Balsamic Field Green Salad

Ingredients:

1 Bag (1lb. Field Greens washed and drained)

2 ripe red Pears, seeded, diced, and set aside (toss in lemon juice)

Juice of ½ a lemon (for pears)

½ cup diced Dates (pits removed)

½ cup Goat cheese

½ cup Caramelized Walnuts

¼ cup high quality extra virgin olive oil

½ cup high quality sweet balsamic vinegar (I only use the 18 year aged balsamic from http://robbinsfamilyfarm.com/store.html)

Salt and pepper

Nature’s Seasoning to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rough chop walnuts & add to 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Bake until golden brown, toss & set aside to cool.

In a large salad bowl, whisk together olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and dates.  Allow dates to sit in dressing for about 15 minutes.

Combine greens, and drizzle dressing on top, toss, and then add pears & and walnuts. Toss, & sprinkle each serving with goat cheese. Serve immediately.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ever stop & wonder what those green tomatoes at the grocery store are used for? Well, now you know. I watched the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" years ago, but never tried these until I was with my hubby in Montgomery Alabama, heart of the South. Boy-did these knock our socks off.

We loved them so much we set out to replicate them. It was so much easier than we thought. These are highly addicting, and almost a meal in themselves. Enjoy.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:

3-4 medium, firm Green tomatoes

Natures Seasoning (or salt & pepper) to taste

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Buttermilk

2 Eggs-beaten

A pinch of Salt

1/3 cup Breadcrumbs

3/4 cup yellow Cornmeal

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne/Paprika mix

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

 

Directions:

Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt. Let tomato slices stand for 5 minutes.

Place in separate bowls: Flour, Natures seasoning, and paprika/cayenne.

In Another bowl: Buttermilk, egg, & a pinch of salt. 

In the last bowl: Cornmeal, a pinch of salt, & breadcrumbs.

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet on medium heat. Beat the egg and the buttermilk together. Dip tomato slices in the flour-seasoning mix, then buttermilk-egg mixture, then the cornmeal-bread crumb mix. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown. Set the cooked tomatoes on paper towels to cool & drain oil. Serve immediately, with a spicy mustard or remoulade sauce.

Crockpot Spicy Ribs

These are mega easy to make, & perfect when you don't have the time to spend in the kitche. Prep em, turn em on, & leave em! That's it.

Crockpot Ribs:

Ingredients:
5 lbs pork loin back ribs
1 can Dr. pepper
2 cups water
1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic-smashed & peeled
4 tablespoons Salt

Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika

2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup Apple cider vinegar

1 bottle regular BBQ sauce

1/8 cup Molasses

3 teaspoons Honey

½ small (6 oz. can) Chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce

Directions:

Place crock pot on high. In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients except ribs & Dr. Pepper together. Trim & clean ribs, rinse and pat dry. Place into crock pot sideways, so that riblets run vertical. I usually trim mine down so that they will fit into the crockpot easily. I also have an enormous oval shaped crock pot, but for half a recipe will use my regular sized round crock pot.

Pour barbeque sauce over the top, then add can of Dr. Pepper. Stir, then cover. Check a few times throughout the day, and decrease heat after the first 3 hours. Cook for up to 8 hours. In the last 30 minutes, pre-heat oven to 400, & place ribs onto a rib rack. Brown in oven, while basting with extra sauce for 20 minutes.

I also reduce some of the BBQ sauce from the crock pot over the stove top to serve on the side.

Lemon-Garlic Chipotle Shrimp

This is a scrumptious meal, especially if you like a hot, spicy, & tomato-ey shrimp dish. I normally serve this over my Asiago-Corn Polenta, which is also a little spicy, but you can also serve over some cheesy grits, or omit the Serrano peppers from the polenta.

Lemon-Garlic Chipotle Shrimp

**served over Asiago-Corn Polenta-see recipe

For Shrimp:

1 & ½ pounds Shrimp-washed, deveined & tail removed

3 cloves of fresh chopped Garlic

2-3 sprigs of Green onions-sliced

1 cup fresh chopped flat leaf Parsley

1 cup Chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce

Juice of 2 Lemons

2-3 Shallots-minced

Nature’s Seasoning to taste

1 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

½ teaspoon Chipotle powder

Serrano pepper (optional) with seeds removed

Directions:

Heat oil & butter on medium-high heat. Sauté garlic, green onions, & shallots together. Add shrimp, mixing well. Add parsley, lemon juice, and all seasonings. Cook for about 5minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through. Add Serrano peppers if you like it very spicy. Otherwise, omit. Serve over Asiago-Corn Polenta.

Chicken Pot Pie with Puffed Pastry

This recipe makes the most scrumptious chicken pot pie filling. I used to make my own crust to pair with the recipe, but I find that frozen puffed pastry dough is the best, and I only add it to the top of the pie to cut a few calories.

I place the filling into individual oven safe bowls, or ramekins. It gives each person the perfect amount for a nice sized serving. I make a few extra which store well covered in the fridge for a few days. They can easily be reheated in the toaster oven. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie with Puffed Pastry

Ingredients

•           3 whole Chicken breasts chopped into bite sized cubes

•           3-4 tablespoons Olive oil

•           Freshly ground black pepper

•           3 1/2 cups Chicken stock

•           Sea salt

•           2 chicken bouillon cubes

•           1 tablespoon unsalted Butter

•           1 cup yellow Onion, diced

•           3/4 cup all-purpose Flour

•           1/4 cup heavy Cream

•           2 cups Peas/carrot frozen mixture

•           1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves chopped

•           2 cups Celery chopped

•           2 Bay leaves

•           2 small cloves of fresh Garlic-minced

•           2-3 sprigs fresh Oregano

•           2 teaspoons Poultry seasoning

•           2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence

•           1 large Potato-peeled & diced

•           ½ cup white

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, sauté onions, garlic, parsley & bay leaves in olive oil & 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, until golden brown. Add chicken, which have been cut into small bite sized cubes. Cook, stirring frequently until done. 

Add celery, potato, & herbs de

Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the white wine or sherry. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Mix well.

Add to individual single serving ramekins that are oven safe. Top with frozen puffed pastry in small 3x5 squares. Brush with egg wash & bake.

Vanilla-Caramel Chews

What is better than a classic vanilla-caramel candy? Something that takes you back to you your childhood? Try this easy caramel candy recipe. Play around with the recipe & add orange extract, or rum to add variety.

Classic Vanilla-Caramel Chews

Ingredients:
1 quart heavy cream
½ cup sugar
¼ cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean

Directions:

Heat cream in a heavy saucepan on medium high until cream comes to a rolling boil. Boil cream, stirring often, until it reduces by half. Then transfer the cream into a heavy skillet, mix in sugar and corn syrup, and bring to a boil again, cooking (and stirring) until the cream and sugar mixture becomes thick and melted caramel-like in texture.

Add vanilla just after turning off the heat, and mix well. Scrape caramel into a buttered pan, and let it cool. Once cool, roll the caramel into a long log, slice it into pieces and wrap the individual pieces in plastic wrap. They can also be stored in the fridge, if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to a month.

**You can also do a variation by adding ½ teaspoon of Orange extract…Mmmmm.

Caramel-Rum Flan

Flan is one of the easiest desserts you can make. Plus, which is such a bonus, it can be made ahead, and placed in the fridge to chill until you're ready to serve. It's delicious the in traditional style, but you can add a few additional key ingredients, and make it the BOMB!

Caramel –Rum Flan

Ingredients:

1 cup and 1/2 cup sugar

6 large eggs

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 13 oz cans evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon dark Rum

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. You will need 6-8 ramekins and a large baking pan to place them inside.  

Pour 1 cup sugar in warm pan over medium heat. Constantly stir sugar until it browns and becomes caramel. Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tablespoons of caramel in each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides. Reheat caramel if it starts to harden.

In a mixer or with a whisk, blend the eggs together. Mix in the milks then slowly mix in the 1/2 cup of sugar, then the vanilla & rum. Blend smooth after each ingredient is added.

Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins. Place ramekins in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water. Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center. If knife comes out clean, it's ready.

Remove and let cool. Let each ramekin cool in refrigerator for 1 hour. Invert each ramekin onto a small plate, the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.

This soup is a meal it itself. A little crusty Italian bread on the side, and you're good to go. It's cheesy, hearty & spicy. And it will warm you on a cold night. I like making this when the weather is cold, and I need a nice comfort meal to fill me up. It's packed with enough veggies to make it healthy.

Spicy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

½ of a large Velveeta cheese loaf (About 2 cups of diced cheese)

6-7 large stalks of fresh Celery- chopped finely

½ yellow Onion-diced

½ head of fresh Broccoli-chopped finely (about 2 ½ cups)

1 Serrano pepper-minced (I usually remove about half of the seeds to make sure it doesn’t get too spicy)

3 tablespoons Butter

1 cup Whole Cream

1 pint half and half

1 cup chicken stock

2 chicken bouillon cubes or Chicken flavoring

Nature’s Seasoning (to taste)- or salt & pepper

Directions:

Sauté in a large pot over medium-high heat butter, Serrano peppers, and onions. Add celery & broccoli, & reduce heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes until all the veggies cook down. Add stock & stir frequently.

Add cubed Velveeta, seasonings, cream & half and half. Stir constantly as cheese melts down on very low heat. Taste & season accordingly.

Carrot-Coconut & Pineapple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

This is BIG! Real big. Imagine the perfect carrot cake...spicy, nutty, & a hint of fruit. Only now...get ready.....pineapple & coconut too! Wow. And you thought it couldn't get ANY better. Ha! I made this for Easter last year. Warning: You cannot eat just 1 piece! For reals!

Carrot cake is delicious in it of itself, but once you add the pineapple & toasted coconut, you just can't go wrong. Enjoy this variation & let me know how you LOVE it. It serves 10-12 good sized portions.

I didn't have my "real" camera to take this photo, & the first photo was taken on my phone, so I apologize in advance. This should not detract however, from the beauty of the cake, & how good it will be. Enjoy!

Carrot-Coconut & Pineapple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

3/4 pound raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)

½ cup crushed canned pineapple tidbits


1 cup toasted Coconut flakes

1 cup yellow golden raisins

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

1 cup canola oil (or corn oil)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray two - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper. 

Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely. Peel and finely grate the carrots.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes).

Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts.

Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting. 

To Assemble:

Place one cake layer onto your serving plate. Spread with about half the frosting. Gently place the other cake onto the frosting and spread the rest of the frosting over the top of the cake. If desired, garnish with toasted nuts on the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth.  Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest. 

This recipe is an oldie, but goodie. I usually make these for Easter, & since Easter is right around the corner-why not. I think the chocolate on the bottom of the macaroon is the only way to go. Without it, the coconut is a bit overpowering, but the chocolate helps balance it it.


I have also made them in a ball shape, then thumb printed them, & filled the hole with ganache, or an Easter colored chocolate M&M. These are really cute if you dress them up to correspond to the holiday you are making them for.

With Valentines Day coming up, you could also do a cute heart shape, or even fill them in the middle with a heart shaped chocolate, or color the coconut a pinkish tint. whatever you decide-just have fun!

Coconut Macaroons in Chocolate Ganache

Macaroons

1 1/3 cups of whole blanched almonds (lightly toasted)

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 cups toasted desiccated coconut

6 egg whites (from six large eggs)

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

A pinch salt

Ganache Filling

1/2 cup of heavy cream

2 teaspoons whole milk

2 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder

4 ounces chocolate (fine-quality bitter-sweet, not unsweetened), finely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Directions:

Pulse almonds with 2 cups confectioner's sugar in a food processor until finely ground (almost to a powder) Add remaining 1 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar and pulse until combined. Add coconut. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until they hold soft peaks. Fold in almond mixture in 3 batches gently, but thoroughly (batter will be very soft).

Transfer batter to pastry bag and pipe small (1 inch diameter) mounds about 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake macaroons in batches in the middle of the oven until the top are slightly cracked and appear dry, but are still slightly soft to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer macaroons on parchment to a dampened kitchen towel and cool 5 minutes. Peel from paper and completely cool on racks. Move onto making the filling.

                          Finish with Ganache Filling

Bring milk and cream to a total boil in a small, heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Whisk in cocoa, then remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Cool Chocolate Macaroons filling, then chill, covered, until firm enough to hold its shape when spread, about 30 minutes. Dip bottom of macaroon in Ganache & allow to dry on parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Chocolate-Butterfinger Cupcakes

These cupcakes are the perfect balance between a cupcake, dessert & candy. Could it get any better? I don't feel as bad eating a cupcake as I do eating a couple of pieces of candy...nah, not so bad is it?

The candy melts into the cupcakes, and with the chocolate & butter flavor, you just can't go wrong!

Chocolate-Butterfinger Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

2 & 1/4 cups All-purpose flour

1/2 cup high quality Cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking Soda

2 teaspoons baking Powder

1 teaspoon kosher Salt

1 cup Buttermilk, shaken

2 sticks Butter-softened to room temperature

1 & ½ cups granulated Sugar

2 tablespoons Butter flavoring

2 large Eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure Vanilla extract

1 cup chopped Butterfinger candy (plus more for decoration)

For the Frosting:

2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure Vanilla extract

1 tablespoon whole cream-adjust upward to obtain the desired consistency

Directions: For the cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl, and then set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Once well combined, add vanilla. Slowly add the buttermilk, eggs, and butter extract, mixing on low speed until combined.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, fold in the butterfingers, and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Using a large scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

4. Finish by frosting with vanilla frosting.

For the Icing

In a large mixer, combine the sticks of butter, vanilla, cream cheese, and confectioners sugar gradually. Slowly add cream until you reach the desired consistency.

Eggplant & Chicken Sausage Spaghetti

This is the quintessential comfort food. A cold night...this is it. This will fill your belly & leave you satisfied!

Eggplant & Chicken Sausage Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 pound Spaghetti (cooked & retain 1 cup water)

2 ½ cups Marinara sauce (see my recipe here)

1 large purple Eggplant-washed & sliced into bite sized cubes

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2-3 springs of fresh Oregano

2 fresh Bay leaves

¼ cup fresh Basil-chopped

4-5 cloves fresh Garlic-minced

1 yellow Onion-diced

4 tablespoons Olive oil

1 package Chicken Sausage-sliced

Sea Salt

¼ teaspoon crushed Red Pepper flakes

Pepper

Directions:

Boil water for pasta in a large pot. Add salt & a little olive oil. Bring to a boil, add pasta & cook until it is al dente. Retain 1 cup of the pasta water. Begin by sautéing onions, garlic, herbs & olive oil on high heat until golden brown. Add chicken sausage. Cook  for about 2-3 minutes.

Add eggplant, about 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, & cover. Cook for about 2 minutes, reducing heat to a simmer. Add marinara sauce, water & stir. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until eggplant is cooked. Drain pasta, then immediately add eggplant & cheese, and mix well. Serve immediately.

Lemon-Orange Marmalade

I had left-over lemons & oranges from my Bountiful baskets last weekend, & I wanted to use them up before I left on my trip. This was the perfect way to use up my fruit, & not have to eat it all up right away! Delish! For reals!!!

Lemon-Orange Marmalade

Ingredients:

12 cups Oranges (I used a few tangerines as well)

1 cup of Orange rind

2 lemons, rind & fruit

4 cups granulated Sugar

4 cups Orange juice

(Pectin-follow the directions on your brand of pectin)

Directions:

Begin by washing your fruit. Remove the rinds (with a zesting tool) of 2 lemons & about 3 oranges in long slender slices, resembling a piece of ribbon. Set aside. Begin peeling the skin & as much rind as you can remove from the oranges & lemons. Remove any seeds. Quarter your oranges, & with a paring knife, start trimming the white rind & center pieces that hold the sections of fruit together off of the oranges and lemons. Once you are finished with this step, cut each orange and lemon piece into a thin slice.

Place sugar, oranges, lemons, and orange juice in a large pot with a lid. Boil on medium high heat for about 30 minutes, or until most of the fruit is broken down. Add pectin as directions state. Your fruit should resemble a thick jam like consistency, but will harden up completely once the marmalade sets.

If you are canning the marmalade, ensure that you have boiled (disinfected and sterilized) your jars, lids & rings. Otherwise, use clean plastic or glass storage contains & refrigerate.  Serve chilled, over toast or biscuits.

Rustic Roman Gnocchi with Rosemary Potatoes

This recipe is made in three stages, each in the Dutch oven, and then you mix everything together at the end & serve. This way the juices don't soften the texture of the Gnocchi, and the flavors merge at the end. The potatoes will get a better caramelizing texture is you cook them separately.

Roman style Gnocchi is pan friend, versus the traditional Gnocchi which is cooked by blanching in hot water, similar to how you would cook other pastas.

It’s delicious, & the Gnocchi dough can be made weeks ahead of time (see my recipe here Pumpkin-Potato Gnocchi) & freeze/defrost for later use. The recipe shows the steps to prepare the pumpkin gnocchi, & the sauce I made with it.

Rustic Roman Gnocchi with Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 pint fresh Mushrooms-sliced thinly

2 cloves whole fresh Garlic-(unpeeled-but slightly smashed)

¼ teaspoon green Peppercorns

3 cups Fingerling or other small Potatoes (cut into half)

4-5 sprigs fresh Rosemary

2 ½ cups uncooked Gnocchi

6 tablespoons Butter-(divided into 3 batches)

4 teaspoons Olive oil-(divided in half)

Sea Salt

Step 1:

In a Dutch oven, heat to medium high, melt 2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons olive oil, garlic & 2 sprigs of Rosemary. Add potatoes, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt & black pepper, & cover. Cook for about 2-3 minutes at a time, tossing potatoes so that they cook evenly. Once thoroughly cooked, appearing firm, yet soft when pierced with a fork, remove from heat & allow to cool for 10 minutes covered. Remove from pan & place in a large serving dish, covered in plastic wrap to retain heat.

Step 2:

In the same Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of butter, & sauté mushrooms with a pinch of sea salt & pepper until tender. Remove & add to potatoes. Cover.

Step 3:

In the Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 more sprigs of rosemary, & 2 teaspoons of Olive oil on medium heat. Add gnocchi in two batches. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Cook evenly without gnocchi touching one another, in one layer. Turn them over half way to cook the underside.

The appearance should be a golden brown, forming a thin crust on the outside, but still soft & fluffy on the inside. I cooked my gnocchi in two batches. Otherwise, only about half of the recipe will cover the pan at one time. Remove from heat, toss with mushrooms & potatoes, and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve.  

Ginger-Chicken Vegetable Fried Rice

In the mood for something a little different? Trying to find a way to "hide" the veggies? Okay, I'm not really trying to hide them as much as I am attempting to use every last one of them before my upcoming 6 week trip.

Here's a tasty fried rice recipe packed full of veggies, chicken & a yummy ginger-sesame flavor!

Ginger Chicken-Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:

½ pound Chicken breasts-diced

4 cups cold Jasmine rice

4 cloves fresh Garlic-minced

¼ cup chopped fresh Ginger

¼ cup toasted Sesame seeds

2 small Carrots-peeled & cubed

2 cups fresh Broccoli-chopped in small pieces

1 cup frozen Peas-heated

1 yellow Onion-diced

3 tablespoons Nam Pla

4 tablespoons Soy sauce

1 teaspoon chili Sauce

2 teaspoons Sesame oil

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 Eggs-beaten with a teaspoon of Soy sauce

1 teaspoon white Pepper

Directions:

In a large wok, heat both of your oils, then sauté ginger, onions, and garlic, until golden brown. Add chicken, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, chili sauce, & 1 teaspoon nam pla. Cook until done. Add the broccoli & carrots. Mix & then cover. Allow to sauté for about 2 minutes. Stir periodically.

Move the chicken & veggies to the side, & add your whisked eggs. Allow the eggs to cook like an omelet-do not mix, except to move your pan to allow all the egg mixture to coat the side of the pan. Once almost cooked, add rice, remaining spices, peas & seasonings, & stir well. Once everything is well combined, cook until rice is heated, then remove & serve immediately.

Winter Versus Us

Tonight was unbelievably cold! Not just cold like Ohhh, brrr, I need a sweater cold, But Holy Shit I might die if my car breaks down cold!

Montana don't play when it comes to winter....apparently. Yeah, I woke up to -20 air temperatures, with a negative 31 windchill. Holy crap balls!

Tonight to combat the freezing temps and pounding of snow, I made my delicious Roasted Sherry Tomato Cream Soup, annnnndddddd.....drumroll please....Caprese Paninis with grape tomatoes, basil olive oil & fresh Buffalo Mozzarella! M,m,m.

Oh and we used the rustic olive oil bread we got this week from Bountiful Baskets co-op!

Roasted Tomato-Sherry Soup

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons Melted Butter

1 whole Medium Onion, Diced

1 -14 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes-roughly chopped

1 cup water

6 cups Roasted Tomatoes-peeled & blended

3 Tablespoons Chicken Base

3 Tablespoons Sugar

A few pinches of Sea Salt

Black Pepper To Taste

1 cup Cooking Sherry

1-½ cup Heavy Cream

Chopped Fresh Parsley

Chopped Fresh Basil

Preparation Instructions

Sauté diced onions, & basil in butter until translucent. Then add canned tomatoes, blended tomatoes, chicken base, sugar, pinch of salt, black pepper and stir. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, & add Sherry and cream and stir. Add in parsley to taste.

Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Growing up in Asia, tapioca is a very common dessert. It can also be used as a thickening agent, and you see it commonly used in gelatin style desserts. I just love it because it reminds me of when I was a kid, and it satisfies my craving for something sweet, but isn't too heavy. It's also gluten free! An added bonus!

It's simple, sweet, & delicious...it's also pink. Although it comes in a variety of pretty shades, but is naturally white in color.

Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Ingredients:

1 12 oz. can Coconut milk

½ cup Powdered Coconut Cream

¼ cup Coconut Sugar

2 cups dry uncooked Tapioca pearls

4 cups Water (adjust as needed)

Directions:

On the stovetop in a medium sized pot, bring tapioca to a boil, along with 3 cups of water. Once the tapioca boils, you will want to watch it closely, adding water as it thickens. Reduce heat to low, & stir frequently until the white centers of the tapioca are completely gone.

You will know the tapioca is fully cooked when its consistency is thick & each pearl has increased 100% in size. At this point, you will add the coconut cream to the coconut milk & whisk together in a small bowl. Add the sugar to this mixture, and then add all three to the cooked tapioca. Mix gently, & serve.

Pear-Ginger-Apple Butter

I was in the grocery store the other day when I overheard a conversation about apple Butter. That reminded me of how much I loved it growing up, & that I had never made it.

After some research & a careful review of the "aging” fruit in my garage pantry, I was determined to make a variation of the traditional apple butter recipe. Still good. But even better. The process of layering flavor upon flavor always adds depth & variety to any recipe. I needed to use apples, pears, & ginger. This seemed like the perfect way to do it. Plus, anything with alcohol in it tastes better.

I am on this big kick not to waste, since we have been participating in the fruit & vegetables co-op on a bi-weekly basis. This challenges me to come up with new recipes to encompass the produce we get,& not let anything go to waste.

Pear-Ginger-Apple Butter

Ingredients

2 pounds apples (preferably Granny Smith)

2 pounds red Pears

1 cup fresh peeled Ginger (cut into thin slices)

1 cup Water

1 cup dark Rum

4 cups Sugar

A pinch of Salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon Allspice

Juice of 3 Lemons

Equipment Needed

1 wide 8-quart pan (Stainless steel or copper with stainless steel lining)

A food mill or potato ricer

6-8 8-ounce canning jars

First Stage of Cooking:

Cut the apples & pears into quarters, without peeling them. Cut out the seeds. Put the apples, pears, and ginger chunks into large pot (I use my Dutch oven), then add the vinegar, sugar and dark rum. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook the apples, ginger and pears about 45 minutes, until they are very soft. Remove from heat.

Ladle the apple-pear-ginger mixture into a potato ricer, or food mill over a medium sized bowl. Add a dash of salt, and the cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, lemon rind and juice. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Second Stage of Cooking:

Once you run the entire batch through the potato ricer or food mill, cook the mixture in an uncovered, large, wide, thick-bottomed pot on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. I use my Dutch oven. It is perfect for this. Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth (about 1 to 2 hours).

Canning Steps:

To sterilize my jars for canning, I run them through a cycle in the dishwasher, using very hot water. When your apple-pear butter mixture is ready, pour the mixture into sterilized jars and seal. If you plan to store the apple butter un-refrigerated, make sure to follow proper canning procedures. Before applying the lids, sterilize the lids by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids. I process the jars-sealed, in a boiling hot water bath for 20 minutes to ensure a good seal.