Trout with greens and chickpeas

Trout or salmon both work well in this simple dish.  When the packet is cooked and ready, all you need to add is some good bread and a glass of white wine!

Trout with Greens and Chick Peas

Spinach or beet greens
1 clove of garlic
1 T olive oil
Trout fillets
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
1 can (15 oz) chick peas
Other vegetables of choice, like green beans

In a food processor, chop together some greens with a clove of garlic.  With the blades running, add the oil to make a paste.  On pieces of foil, arrange more greens, the vegetables, and the chick peas.  Place a trout fillet on top and season it with the salt and peppers.  Rub the fish with the herb paste.  Wrap up the foil packages and bake on a baking sheet for 15 to 20 minutes at 400.

Antique cooking gadgets: struvor iron

I don't do a lot of cooking in hot oil, but my lust for cast iron got the better of me.  This is an iron used to make Swedish cookies called struvor, or rosettes.  Hot oil, here I come!

Chicken and potato soup

Don't let the simple ingredient list fool you...this soup is tasty, comforting, and deep-down warming!

Chicken and Potato Soup

Butter
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 c chicken breast, chopped
2 c potatoes, chopped
1 c carrots, chopped
Water or stock
White flour
2 -3 c milk
Sharp cheddar or Gruyere cheese for topping


Saute the garlic, onion, and peppers in butter till barely soft.  Add the chicken and cook until done.  Add the potatoes and carrots and a bit of water to deglaze the pan.  In a smaller saucepan, heat some butter and flour and add milk to make a white sauce.  Add the white sauce along with additional milk, water, or stock to the chicken mixture and simmer until the vegetables are tender.  Serve topped with grated cheese.

Southwest chicken and bean stew

The addition of so many beans to this stew make it really hearty.  You can substitute ground chicken or turkey if you'd like, but definitely do serve the steaming bowl with tortilla chips on the side!

Southwest Bean and Chicken Stew

Canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1-1/2 c picante sauce
3 cans (15 oz) beans: kidney, pinto, and black, drained
1 can hominey
1-1/2 c water or more if needed
2 lb pre-cooked chicken breast
Chili powder to taste
Salt and pepper
Ranch dressing for topping, optional
Tortilla chips

Saute the onion and both types of peppers in oil.  Add all the remaining ingredients through the chicken and simmer.  Add spices before serving, and serve with a dollop of ranch dressing and tortilla chips.

Cranberry sorbet...and Jägermeister!

I found a bottle of Jägermeister in our freezer after our daughter left to return home after Christmas.  She couldn't take it on the airplane since she was doing only carry-on.  Too bad.  Especially too bad if she thinks it's still going to here when she next visits!

I made a wonderful cranberry sorbet, and instead of actually "sorbetting" all of it, I froze some solid and cut it into cubes to serve with the Jägermeister.  We liked it this way, but now I'm looking forward to making the sorbet and trying it as a slush!

Anyway, here's the sorbet recipe.  You can either freeze it and cut it up or you can run it through an ice cream machine.

Cranberry Sorbet

3/4 c water
1-1/2 c fresh cranberries
1-1/2 c sugar
1-1/2 c orange juice

In a large saucepan, simmer the cranberries until the skins all pop.  Remove from the heat and puree the cranberries with an immersion blender.  Add the sugar and return to the heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Let the mixture cool and add the orange juice.  Chill thoroughly before processing.  Makes about a quart of sorbet.

Antique cooking gadgets: melon baller or grapefruit corer?

We still haven't completely figured this one out, but I thought that for $3 I could take a chance ;-)  It was creatively labeled as a "gadget".  We have found it listed as both a melon baller and as a grapefruit corer.  I doubt it is particularly good at either task, but I still think it's cool.

Salad with pomegranate seeds

This salad is a wonderful mixture of spinach and radicchio, which provides a strong background for the pomegranate seeds!

Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

Baby spinach
Radicchio
1/2 a pomegranate
Blue cheese, crumbled
Walnuts, chopped
Lemon vinaigrette

Cut the pomegranate in half and hold half of it upside down inside a large bowl.  Squeeze gently to loosen the seeds and then whack the back of it with a wooden spoon until they all let go.  Pick out the bits of membrane.  Mix with the other ingredients and dress before serving.