autumn bisque

This one comes from my afternoon at the restaurant on Wednesday, making the best of what we had around. You can read the post that goes with this recipe here.

1/2 pound of bacon, cut into small pieces
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 piece chorizo sausage (or the sausage of your choosing)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups light cream
salt
pepper
cinnamon
cayenne pepper

Cook bacon in the bottom of the stock pot you plan to use. Once it has begun to brown, add the olive oil and the onion. When they begin to become transluscent, add the rest of the vegetables and the chorizo and cook on medium high heat for about five minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Continue cooking untl vegetables are nice and soft. Puree the mixture, and add cream. Add seasonings and let the soup simmer for at least a half an hour.

I served it with juilenned apples on top.

Peace,
Milton

b'ear bites

At Zorra's request, here is how to assemble the Brie and caramelized pear bites, or B'ear Bites, as I have chosen to call them.

2 pears
1 T butter
1/8 c brandy (rum can be substituted)
1 pkg. Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1 wedge of Brie cheese (Alouette makes a rindless Brie that works well)

Peel and core the pears and then julienne them into small pieces. Heat the saute pan on the stove and then add the butter over medium high heat. When it has melted, add the pears and stir until they begin to soften. Add the brandy and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside.

Open the can of rolls (you can also use puff pastry sheets) and lay them flat on the counter. Cut them into 1 inch squares, or whatever shape you can get. I usually get about five or six bites out of one roll. Put a nice dab of cheese in the middle of the square and then add a small spoonful of pears. Wrap it all up like a package and press the dough to seal it tightly.

Bake in a 350 oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

You can do this by using a small baby Brie wheel. Cut the cheese in half so you have two circular layers. Roll out the dough as one sheet. Place the bottom layer in the center of the dough, add the pears, and then put the top layer over the fruit. Wrap the pastry around the whole wheel and bake.

You can read the post that goes with this recipe here.

I also found a great recipe for whipped sweet potatoes and pears here.

Peace,
Milton

barbeque bonfire packs

This is a recipe that grew out of necessity. Sunday night we had a dinner at church to say thanks to the folks who gave money for our mission trip. Most of the kids that went were seniors, so we had a small crew to fix dinner for about fifty people. I kept trying to think of something that we could do that would be easy to cook and clean up. Here's what I came up with: barbeque bonfire packs.

Cut aluminum foil in two foot pieces.

Put a piece down and spray with non-stick spray. Then layer

10 Tater Tots (I needed some sort of precooked potato and Tots are the best)
three slices of zucchini (sliced about 1/4 inch at an angle)
half a piece of andouille sausage
one boneless chicken thigh
barbeque sauce
one onion slice

Close pack tightly and place on a baking sheet in a 350 oven for about thirty five minutes. Before you serve it, open the pack and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Everyone loved it and, as far as church suppers go, we fed fifty people for $150.

You can read the post that goes with this recipe here.

Peace,
Milton

coconut and pecan crusted friend chicken

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup shredded coconut
flour
eggs
coconut milk

Grind the pecan pieces in a food processor or a coffee grinder until they are like a powder. Mix the pecans, coconut, and about a cup of flour in a bowl. Put another cup of flour in another bowl. Break and whisk about four eggs until well blended and then add coconut milk (about a half a can). Pour oil in a skillet about half an inch deep and get it good and hot. Put the chicken breast in the plain flour, shake off excess and dip in egg mixture, and then into pecan-coconut mixture, pressing the chicken down into the mix to make sure it's well coated. Fry the chicken until golden brown (about three minutes a side).

I served it with bleu cheese mashed potatoes (I made the mashed potatoes and then mixed in the bleu cheese right before I served them) and sauteed baby spinach leaves.

You can read the post that goes with this recipe here.

Peace,
Milton

turkabama squash croquettes

This recipe is a combination of tastes from two places I visited this summer: Turkey and Alabama.

3 medium sized zucchini squash or summer squash (I mix them), grated
1 medium Vidalia onion, grated (optional)
1 cup grated cheese (I use the Sargento Mexican mix)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 T Dijon mustard
1 t lemon juice
2 eggs
1 c plain dried bread crumbs
oil

Grate the squash (I use the grating blade on my food processor) and then put grated squash in a colander and let drain for about thirty minutes. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the squash and put in mixing bowl. Add grated onion, cheese, spices, mustard, and eggs and mix thoroughly. Add bread crumbs and mix again. Mixture will be a little wet but should still hold together when you make it into a ball. Add a few more bread crumbs if you need to.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan. I form about a golf ball sized ball of the squash mixture and drop it in the oil and then I flatten it a bit. I fill the skillet, so I can cook six or seven at a time. Cook until well browned on both sides. Drain and serve.

Croquette in any language fluently spoken here.

Peace,
Milton

swiss chard bisque

I brought in my first harvest from the garden today: a big bunch of basil, some pineapple sage, one zucchini, one summer squash, and an armload of both red and yellow Swiss chard. After I came in, I started looking for chard recipes and fooled around until I made something I liked.

1 bunch (1 lb) Swiss chard
1/2 c chikcen broth
4 T butter
1 Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 c Crimini mushrooms, chopped
3 T flour
1/2 t curry powder
3 c light cream
salt and pepper

Wash and drain the chard. Pull the leaves off the stems and then dice the stems and cut the leaves seperately. Place the leaves in a saute pan, add 2 or 3 T chicken broth, cover, and cook over medium heat for about five minutes (until tender). Add the elaves and a couple more T of broth, cover, and cook for another 3 or 4 mintues (until the leaves wither). Put the chard and the broth in a food processor and puree.

In a stock pot, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic; cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and saute about five minutes. Stir in flour and curry powder and cook until bubbly. Add cream slowly and cook until thickened. Add chard puree and salt and pepper. When the seasoning tastes right to you, ladle the soup in batches into the food processor and puree until smooth.

The soup has a lovely rich green color and a great taste.

Peace,
Milton

strawberry shortcake with a twist

We are heading for a "heat wave" here in New England, which we define as three days over ninety degrees. My greatgrandmother, who spent her whole life on the Texas coast, would have never understood our cause for alarm. I mention her, even though I never met her, because this shortcake recipe is hers, passed down now over four generations. I've combined it with a recipe I've had for a long time -- Strawberries with Orange Sugar -- to give this old family recipe a bit of a twist. When I was a kid, we made a meal out of Strawberry Shortcake.

Shortcakes

2 c fiour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
4 T sugar

Mis dry ingredients well and and cut in
1/2 c shortening
3/4 c milk

Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut to desired size. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Strawberries with Orange Sugar

1/4 c sugar
2 strips (1/2 x 2") orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler and coarsely chopped
2 pints fresh strawberries
1 T fresh lemon juice

Combine sugar and orange zest in food processor until very finely chopped. Put strawberries in a bowl and add orange sugar and lemon juice. Toss and let stand for thirty minutes.

To assemble the shorcakes, cut the cake in half. Put a dollop of whpped cream in the center of the plate and then put the bottom of the cake on top (this holds it in place). Cover with strawberries, then whipped cream, and then the top of the shortcake. Add another layer of strawberries and whipped cream.

Enjoy.

Peace,
Milton

greek stuffed tomatoes

Hey, just because I live in New England and my tomatoes won't ripen until late August doesn't mean those of you in warmner climes shouldn't get a head start. Here's another favorite from our Mediterranean trip.

4 large, firm, well-shaped tomatoes (that ought to get you interested!)
2 medium zucchini, grated
2 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c currants or raisins (could also use dried cranberries)
4 T pine nuts
fresh parsley, chopped
fresh mint, chopped
fresh basil, chopped
1/2 c rice, uncooked
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 t sugar
salt & pepper
4 T bread crumbs
olive oil

Cut the tops off the tomatoes (save them) and then scoop out the insides (save that, too). Put the tomato bodies in an oven proof dish where they fit snug enough to hold each other up.

Cover the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil and cook the onions over medium heat. When they are translucent, add the rice and cook for another two or three minutes. Add the zucchini and the garlic and, after a minute or two, the tomato pulp. Once that mixture is simmering, add the currants, pine nuts, herbs, sugar, and spices.

Fill each tomato about 2/3 full of mixture (rice will swell while cooking) and put tops on tomatoes. If you have extra filling, pack it around the tomatoes in the dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Cook in a 250 degree oven for about an hour, until the rice is cooked and the tomatoes have wrinkled.

These can be eaten hot or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

imam bayildi

I'm finally getting around to posting some of my favorite dishes from our trip to Greece and Turkey. This dish, whose name translates as "the imam fainted" or "the imam cried" was my favorite. It takes a little time, but it's fun to make and it's worth it. Besides that, all the ingredients are about to come into season.

4 medium eggplants
4 medium onions
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
8 cloves of garlic
1 t salt
2 t sugar
1/4 c chopped parsley
3 t fresh lemon juice
olive oil
pepper
sweet paprika

Remove the stems of the eggplants and peel them so that the outside looks striped (about 1 inch stripes). Cut small slashes into the eggplant halves and salt them. Turn them cut side down on paper towels and let them sit for about half an hour.

Cut the onions in half and then slice thinly, so you get a bunch of half moon slices. Cover the bottom of your saute pan with olive oil and cook the onions until they are translucent; add the garlic cloves and cook for another minute or two. Add the tomatoes and cook for about five minutes, until they are cooked down. Add salt, sugar, lemon juice, and other spices and set aside.

Pour one cup of water into a baking dish that will hold all the eggplants. Pat the eggplants dry (you can even squeeze them a little) and put them in the baking dish, cut side up, where they fit snugly together. Fill each half with the tomato-onion mixture. Pour 1/4 c olive oil over the top of the filled eggplants and cover. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before serving.

I didn't faint or cry; I asked for more.

Peace,
Milton

uncle milty's cole slaw

Yes, I do have my own version, thank you very much, and I'm happy to share in my attempt to become more regular in posting recipes.

1 head cabbage, shredded (I use the shredding blade on my food processor)
3 carrots, shredded (same way)
1 c chopped Vidalia onion (optional)
1 c dried cranberries
1 c crumbled Bleu Cheese

Toss together and add the dressing:

1/4 c sugar
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 c mayonnaise

Mix dressing ingredients in a blender and pour over slaw; toss to coat.

Good stuff, Maynard.

Peace,
Milton