Happy Birthday Stefanie!

Today is our Executive Chef's birthday! I'm sure all of you would like to join me in wishing her a very Happy Birthday!

Get your Spicy Pumpkin Cheesecakes!

Since the holidays are fast approaching, I thought I'd let you all know I'm taking orders for my Lascivious Spicy Pumpkin Cheesecake! If you have never had it before, do yourself a favor and order one! Foodgasms guaranteed with each bite! I'll be posting pictures and prices as soon as I work that out.

Manfred’s Garlic Soup with Tomatoes and Herbs

My father’s simple, rustic garlic soup was an elixir when we were sick.  I throw in tomatoes for the lycopene and fresh herbs from the garden. Not only do these give the soup an incredible aroma,  but they also help clear the sinuses. The healing properties of the constituents found in many of the common herbs are well known, and many of those herbs are probably right out your back door.

• 1qt Chicken broth
• 10 Garlic cloves
• 1 Handful stale bread chunk
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (i.e. sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme)
• 1 Tomato
• 1/2tsp Pepper
• Pinches Cayenne, salt

Heat the chicken broth on the stove and find a large bowl.

Peel, smash and roughly chop the garlic cloves, toss in bowl.

Break off chunks of stale bread and cover the garlic.
Dice the tomato and sprinkle over top of bread with herbs, pepper, cayenne and salt.
Pour hot broth into bowl, cover with plate and let sit for 5 min.

Wine suggestion: Viognier

Milky Swiss Chard

Per Gail's request for recipes with greens:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp (¼ cup) butter
• Half a red onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp flour
• ½ tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 4 cups chopped Swiss chard
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth 
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and butter in a large pan over med-high heat. 

Saute onion until translucent.

Add garlic, flour and spices and stir to a light brown rue, about 1 min.

Fold in Swiss chard, about 2 min.

Add honey, broth and milk.

Heat to a simmer while incorporating… turn to low, cover.

Cook for ten minutes.

Remove lid, stir, and heat for an additional five minutes to reduce.

Cheers!

Creamy Spinach Double Baked Potatoes

This is a quick and easy recipe I came up with for Gail, Pond Plant Girl, when she posted on my wall that she needed something "non salad" with fresh spinach and chives. She cooked it up and took a pic:

 

 

 

Creamy Spinach Double Baked Potatoes:

• 2 large baking potatoes
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella
• ½ red onion, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optionial:
• 4 Tbs sour cream
• 2 Tbs chopped chives

 

Preheat oven to 400°.

 

Pierce potatoes with a fork, and bake at 400° for approximately 1 hour, or microwave by piercing with a fork, placing on wet paper towels, cooking on high for 15 minutes. In the mean time, par boil the spinach to wilt (2 min max) then throw in ice bath.

 

Cut each potato in half lengthwise and scoop out about ¾ of the flesh into a bowl. Put shells on lightly oiled baking sheet. Add buttermilk, cream cheese, salt and pepper (if you want to be naughty, ¼ stick of butter) to bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Mix in drained spinach, cheese, and onion. Spoon mixture into shells. Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes. Top with sour cream and chives if you wish.

With this one, I'd say have a glass of sauvignon blanc, or a pale ale....  Cheers!

Lox and then some. . .

In order of assembly…

Toasted Bagel
Cream Cheese
Capers
Tomato
Green Onions
Smoked Salmon

In the mean time…

Saute sliced mushrooms, chopped chipotle peppers, frenched red onion, and fresh sage in olive oil and butter. Crack egg on top, add dried dill, paprika, salt and pepper.  Slide on to completed bagel assembly.  Top with fresh dill fronds.
Serve with a side of red potato pancakes topped with a dollup of crème fraiche and chopped fresh dill.

Slippery Toad in a Hole

One of the recipes from my children's cook book in progress for the budding chef….

Slipper or “Flip Flop” Toad in a Hole


Olive oil
1 Slice of French bread
1 egg
1 Tablespoon sliced black olives
1/2 to 1Tablespoon grated parmesan (to taste)
a few sprigs of fresh basil
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper

Make sure mom, dad, or an adult friend is supervising you….

Tools: 3 small bowls, a cheese grater, a cutting board, frying pan, kitchen scissors, spatula, and a soup can.

Set your ingredients on the counter in front of you. Line them up in the order listed above. Crack the egg into one bowl, put the olives into the second, and grate the parmesan on to the cutting board and scoop into the third bowl. Cut up the basil leaves with the scissors into slivers like confetti, and put them in the bowl with the parmesan (save a sprig with two leaves for the “toe holds”). Add the paprika to the same bowl, and toss with a fork.

Drizzle about a Tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and heat at medium. Use the soup can to press out a hole in the middle of the piece of bread – keep the round piece. Put the bread in the pan and slide it around a bit. Slip the egg from the bowl into the hole in the bread. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the egg, sprinkle on the olives, and cover with round piece (like a hat). Sprinkle the parmesan mixture over the whole thing. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the “hat” doesn’t wiggle any more if you shake the pan a little. If you can use a broiler, put it under it for a minute or two (otherwise just fry it a bit longer). Make sure to watch it closely with oven door slightly open. Use your spatula to put it on a plate. Put the two leaves of basil at one end to make it look like a flip-flop. If you have any left over basil you can sprinkle it around the plate to look fun!

Enjoy!