Temptation Thursday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"For each petal on the shamrock... this brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck, and happiness, for today and every day."
-Author Unknown

I am not a big corned beef and cabbage fan, so I decided NOT to share a recipe for that. Instead, I thought I would give you a recipe with a main ingredient that can be substituted with left over corned beef. Enjoy!

"Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck."
-Author Unknown


Brisket Hash

Ingredients:

* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
* 3 cups Idaho potatoes, peeled, very finely chopped
* 1/2 cup carrots, peeled, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup sweet onion, peeled, finely chopped
* 3 cups beef brisket cooked & finely chopped
* 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Your favorite toast

Equipment Needed:

* Large Ovenproof skillet

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Heat skillet on medium high.
3.) Add oil and swirl to coat.
4.) Stir in garlic and potatoes, cook 3 min, until lightly browned.
5.) Add carrots, celery, and onion, cook 3 min.
6.) Mix in brisket and tabasco; cook, without stirring 5 min.
7.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8.) Place skillet in oven and bake 10 min, until lightly browned.
9.) Serve with toast.

"May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night."
-Irish Blessing


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday

“We can see a thousand miracles around us every day. What is more supernatural than an egg yolk turning into a chicken?”
-S. Parkes Cadman

Hello! Have the dog days of winter got you down? Well don't let them! Try this slow cooker recipe and it will put smiles on the faces of your entire family! What is not to love? It is easy to make, fairly inexpensive and is truly a comfort food that will warm you to your cockles! ENJOY!

“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”
-Arnold H. Glasgow


Slow Cooked Hunter Chicken

Ingredients:

* 1 pkg split chicken breasts w/ ribs, drums & thighs (3 Lbs)
* salt and pepper to taste
* flour (for coating)
* 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 cups mirepoix (diced carrots, celery & onion)
* 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
* 2 cups dry red wine
* 32 oz chicken stock
* 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
* 1 can Italian style tomatoes
* 2 tsp Herbs de Provence
* 1 Tbsp tarragon, chopped
* Crusty Italian bread

Equipment Needed:

* 6-8 qt slow cooker
* large braising pan


Directions:

1.) Season chicken with salt/pepper & dust with flour.
2.) Heat oil on medium in braising pan.
3.) Brown chicken pieces lightly on all sides, 8-10 min.
4.) Remove chicken & place in slow cooker.
5.) Discard all but 1 Tbsp oil.
6.) Lower heat to medium-low.
7.) Add garlic & mirepoix to pan; cook 2-3 min, stirring frequently.
8.) Stir in all-purpose flour and mix well.
9.) Add wine and stir.
10.) Slowly mix in chicken stock and bring to simmer.
11.) Pour stock mixture over chicken in slow cooker.
12.) Add mushrooms, tomatoes, and herbs, mix well.
13.) Cover & cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-7 hours.
14.) Remove chicken & arrange on a large serving platter.
15.) Stir tarragon into sauce; season to taste with salt and pepper.
16.) Pour sauce over chicken and serve w/ bread.

(P.S. Dunking the bread in the sauce is DIVINE!)

Thought of the Day:

"People who count their chickens before they are hatched act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately."
-Oscar Wilde

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Souper Saturday!

"Chowder breathes reassurance. It steams consolation."
-Clementine Paddleford

Hello! I am pressed for time today, but I wanted to share a great soup recipe. It makes a lot, so have some friends and family over and make it party! Enjoy!


Clam Chowder:
Servings: 15 cups

Ingredients:

* 4 oz pancetta, cubed
* 4 Tbsp butter
* 1/2 cup diced onions
* 1/2 cup diced celery
* 1 cup leeks, diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup flour
* 32 oz. clam juice
* 4 cups heavy cream
* 2 lbs white potatoes, peeled & diced
* 16 oz clam meat
* 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
* 1 Tbsp chopped thyme
* 1 tsp cayenne pepper sauce
* Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment Needed:

* Stockpot

Directions:

1.) place pancetta & butter to stockpot on medium.
2.) Cook 2-3 min, until pancetta is crispy.
3.) Add onion, celery, leeks & garlic; stir well.
4.) Cook about 5 min, until soft but not browned.
5.) Add flour; stirring until completely blended.
6.) Cook, stirring & scraping bottom of pan every 30 seconds, about 2 min.
7.) Whisk in clam juice and cream.
8.) Add potatoes.
9.) Increase heat to medium-high.
10.) Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 min, until it comes to a boil.
11.) Reduce heat to medium-low.
12.) Simmer 10-15 min, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender.
13.) Add clam meat, herbs, & pepper sauce.
14.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
15.) Stir until soup is warmed through, about 3 min.
16.) Ladle soup into warmed bowls.

Thought of the Day:

"Don't look where you fall, but where you slipped."
-African Proverb

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Souper Saturday!

"Of all the items on the menu, soup is that which exacts the most delicate perfection and the strictest attention."
-Auguste Escoffier

Hello! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Today I am sharing a recipe for one of my favorite soups, ENJOY!


Split Pea Soup with Ham

Ingredients:

* 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
* 1 cup mirepoix (minced carrots, celery & onion)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 16 oz dried green split peas, sorted and rinsed
* 1 cup potato, peeled and diced
* 2 cartons (32 oz each) vegetable stock
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 2 cups ham, small dice
* Chopped fresh parsley

Equipment Needed:

* Blender

Directions:

1.) Add oil to stockpot and heat on medium.
2.) Cook mirepoix and garlic, stirring occasionally, about 5 min, until vegetables are tender but not browned.
3.) Add peas, potatoes & vegetable stock.
4.) Bring to boil.
5.) Reduce heat and simmer about 45 min, covered, until peas are tender.
6.) Puree soup until smooth with blender & return soup to pan.
7.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8.) Add diced ham.
9.) Heat on medium until warmed through.
10.) Garnish with parsley.

Thought of the Day:

"Soup is to the meal, what the hostesses smile of welcome is to the party. A prelude to the goodness to come."
-Louis P. De Gouy


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Souper Saturday!

Hello! I know it is still summer, but on these cooler days my thoughts turn to fall! It is my favorite time of the year - I am giddy with excitement at the thought of picking apples, pumpkins, red peppers, etc.. I feel soup goes hand-in-hand with the season. It is a simple one dish meal, yet very hearty and wholesome. Today's recipe is not for the faint of heart - it is spicy! However, you can tweak the recipe and tone it down a bit if you would like! Enjoy!



Spicy Red Lentil Chili
Servings: 7 Cups

Ingredients:

* 1 cup red lentils (Goya)
* 4 cups + 2 Tbsp water, divided
* 2 Tbsp butter
* 1/2 cup onion, peeled & finely diced
* 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
* 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
* 1 medium tomato, cored & diced
* 2 cups vegetable stock
* 1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
* 1/8 tsp turmeric
* 1/8 tsp cumin
* 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1/2 tsp black pepper
* 1/8 tsp chili powder
* 2 Tbsp cornstarch
* 1/4 cup green pepper, minced

Equipment Needed:

1.) Food processor (blender will work also)

Directions:

1.) Bring lentils & 2 cups water to boil on high.
2.) Turn off heat.
3.) Remove half the lentils & liquid; place in food processor & puree, about 1 min.
4.) Set pureed and whole lentils aside.
5.) Melt butter in soup pot on medium-low.
6.) Add onions: saute' about 2 min, until soft but not browned.
7.) Add celery & garlic: saute' about 5 min, until soft but not browned.
8.) Add tomato and cook 5 min more.
9.) Mix in stock, 2 c. water, Tabasco, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, sea salt, black pepper, & chili powder.
10.) Bring to simmer.
11.) Add all lentils plus the liquid to the soup pot.
12.) Cook about 15 min, until lentils are tender.
13.) Combine cornstarch and remaining 2 Tbsp water in small bowl.
14.) Bring soup to boil; add cornstarch/water mixture.
15.) Stir 30 seconds to thicken slightly.
16.) Turn off heat & add green peppers.
17.) Ladle into bowls and serve warm.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Souper Saturday!

“There is nothing like soup. It is by nature eccentric: no two are ever alike, unless of course you get your soup in a can.”
-Laurie Colwin


Hello - Come on in!

I have a wonderful soup recipe to share today: Squash Soup. Even if you are not a fan of squash, you will love this soup! Squash is not one of my favorites, but I love the taste and texture of this soup. It is smooth, creamy and delightful! Enjoy!

“Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living. For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish.”
-Louis P. De Gouy


Squash Soup

Servings: 5 cups

Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, cleaned and diced
* 1 cup mirepoix (finely chopped carrots, celery and onions)
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 Loaf crusty french bread (sliced)

Equipment Needed:

* 2 quart microwave-safe dish
* Stockpot
* Blender

Directions:

1.) Place squash in 2-qt microwave-safe dish with 1 Tbsp water and cover.
2.) Microwave squash on high 10 min until soft.
3.) Set squash aside.
4.) Add mirepoix and olive oil to stockpot, heat to medium-low.
5.) Cook mirepoix, stirring, about 10 min, until soft but not browned.
6.) Add squash to stockpot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7.) Pour chicken stock into pot and simmer 10 min.
8.) Remove from heat and let cool 10 min.
9.) Ladle small batches into blender and puree until smooth.
10.) Return soup to pot and reheat on low.
11.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12.) Serve with french bread.

"There was a Young Lady of Poole,
Whose soup was excessively cool;
So she put it to boil,
By the aid of some oil,
That ingenious Young Lady of Poole."
-Edward Lear


Joke of the Day:
Why did God create men first? Because we learn from mistakes.


Enjoy your weekend remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Souper Saturday!

Every winter,
When the great sun has turned his face away,
The earth goes down into a vale of grief,
And fasts, and weeps, and shrouds herself in sables,
Leaving her wedding-garlands to decay -
Then leaps in spring to his returning kisses.
-Charles Kingsley


Hello! I live in upstate New York, so soup is always welcomed, especially in winter. For those of you living in warmer climates, soup may not be needed to ward off the chills - however, it is always sure to "warm" you in other ways! Enjoy!


"Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people."
-Elizabeth Berry



Moroccan Lentil & Chick Pea Soup

Serves: 8
Cost Per Serving: $2.25

Ingredients:

* 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 cup (8 oz) mirepoix (finely chopped carrots, celery and onion)
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 16 oz organic green lentils, sorted and rinsed
* 1 can (28 oz) cut roma tomatoes with seasonings
* 2 cartons (32 oz each) vegetable stock
* 1 tsp coriander seed or ground coriander
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp turmeric
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 can (15.5 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
* 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
* Salt to taste


Tools needed:

* Hand-held or regular blender


Directions:

1.) Heat stockpot on medium and once warmed, add olive oil.
2.) Add mirepoix and garlic. Cook, stirring, 5-6 min, until soft but not browned.
3.) Stir in lentils, tomatoes, stock, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne.
4.) Cook, covered, 20-25 min.
5.) Puree briefly (15 secs) with hand-held blender or in regular blender, just to thicken (don't puree all the lentils).
6.) Return to stockpot if you used a regular blender.
7.) Stir in garbanzo beans and cilantro.
8.) Season to taste with salt.
9.) Simmer about 5 min on medium until heated through.


"Great eaters and great sleepers are incapable of anything else that is great."
-Henry IV of France


Enjoy the day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!