SPLIT PEA SOUP


SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 Honey Baked Ham Bone
2 cups ham pieces
3 quarts water
1 small bag baby carrots, chopped
5 large stalk celery, leaves included, chopped
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cups split green peas
2 cups split yellow peas
1/4 cup barley
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper & white pepper mix
1 bottle beer – Mystery ingredient

  • In a large stock pot, bring ham bone* & water to a boil. Boil until the meat is falling off the bone, about 1 – 1 1/2 hours)
  • Remove the bone and let cool enough so you can cut the meat off the bone.
  • In the mean time add the carrots, celery, onion (4 cups total) and seasonings to the water and return to a slow boil for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  • While the vegetables are boiling, rinse the peas and pick out any bad ones.
  • Cut the ham pieces off the bone. Refrigerate the ham pieces and discard the bone.
  • After the vegetables have cooked 45 minutes or until tender, add the peas and barley. Cook for another 1 1/2 hours.
  • Add the beer and ham pieces back in and cook another 1 1/2 hours.

*I always save my honey baked ham bones after the meat is all cut off. I then freeze them and save them for future soups. I always get at least 2 cups of meat off when I boil the bone.

This makes a huge batch and I always freeze it in several batches (3-4) for future easy weeknight meals. In this case it will be a big batch when everyone is here at Christmas.

TODAY’S TRIVIA as heard by hubby on an old game show – Campbell’s soup used to fill the bottom of the bowl with marbles so the vegetables would be at the top giving the appearance of more vegetables in each bowl of soup. That trick was not done here – what you see is what you get.

TUNA MELTS

1 large can white albacore tuna packed in water, drained and drained again!
8 sweet pickles, chopped fine
2 green onions, chopped fine
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 hard boiled egg, chilled, peeled and chopped fine
2-4 tablespoons butter
1 slice Muenster cheese
1 slice extra sharp cheese
4 slices frozen potato bread

  • Drain the tuna in a fine mesh sieve and then use a spoon to mash all the water out again! Drying out the tuna is crucial.
  • In a mixing bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  • Chop the sweet pickles and green onions extremely fine.
  • Fold tuna, pickles and onions into Mayonnaise mixture.
  • Chop egg finely and fold into mixture.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter on griddle over medium high heat. Add more as necessary to keep from burning.
  • Toast all 4 slices of bread while still frozen*.
  • When butter is melted lay all 4 slices in butter and top 2 slices with muenster and the other 2 slices with the sharp cheddar. Allow them to heat through, melting the cheese.
  • Add the tuna to 2 slices and close them up.
  • Continue cooking until golden on all sides and heated through.

JAMBALAYA

JAMBALAYA

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large bunch green onions, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced cooked ham
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup long grain rice

  • Heat the oil in a dutch oven. Add the green onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant and tender.
  • Mix in remaining ingredients except for the rice and bring to a boil.
  • Add rice and reduce the heat. Simmer until rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

FRENCH ONION & TOMATO SOUP


FRENCH ONION & TOMATO SOUP
4 tablespoons salted butter
3 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
3 medium hot house tomatoes
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Better than Beef Bouillon
1 tablespoon kitchen bouquet
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 thin slices french or sourdough bread, toasted
4 slices Gruyere cheese*

  • Melt butter in bottom of stock pot.
  • Separate onions into rings and add to butter. Cook until tender and golden.
  • Add flour and blend well with butter mixture and onions.
  • Add broth, beef bouillon, kitchen bouquet, paprika, onion powder, celery salt, sea salt and pepper and stir well.
  • Simmer 15-20 minutes.
  • Toast bread and then butter it.
  • Ladle soup into 4 oven proof bowls that have been put on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
  • Place 1 slice of toast over top of soup.
  • Lay 1 slice of cheese on top of toast.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Another great option is to use these cheesy baked croutons to top the soup. Both ways are super yummy!

BAKED CHEESY CROUTONS
6 slices thick sourdough bread
butter, melted, enough to coat bread
½ cup Fontina Cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden. Melt butter in flat bowl. Combine cheeses in flat bowl. Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture. Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. Float croutons on top of soup bowls just before serving.

Yields: 6 BOWLS
Time to make: 1½ hr

*you’d think living close to Wisconsin, the cheese state, I could get all sorts of flavors of cheese, but alas I still can’t find gruyere and have been substituting provolone.

Hot Wings & Bleu Cheese

HOT WINGS

  • 2-3 dozen+ chicken wings ~ We prefer drumettes (with a little meat on them) to actual wings, but it’s your choice. Today I used what was in the freezer for picture sake, but next week it’ll be drumettes for sure!
  • 2 cups Flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • hidden valley ranch dressing mix (DRY) OR Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (DRY)
  • 2 sticks butter+
  • Frank’s Hot Sauce
  • PURE
I also prefer to use an old cast iron frying pan (our is at least 3rd generation, dating back to hubby’s grandfather that we know for sure). I still believe this gives you the most even browning.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Wash and dry the chicken pieces.
  • Mix together the flour and seasonings in a plastic ziploc bag. Using a ziploc bag makes it easy to throw away the whole mess after dredging all the chicken pieces and it helps you coat every possible spot of the chicken pieces.
  • Add chicken a few pieces at a time and coat them well. Set chicken pieces aside.
  • While you’re doing this, have the butter melting in the pan. Start with 1 stick and add as necessary, but make sure you don’t run out dry.
  • Once all the chicken has been dredged start frying. After you have the pan full pepper the pieces again. Don’t turn the chicken until you can see blood. You only need to turn the chicken one time. Brown evenly and then set aside on paper towels until all pieces have been fried.
  • As the last batch is frying melt the other stick of butter in a 4 cup measure cup. To that add 1 cup of Frank’s hot sauce per stick of butter. Whisk them together well.
  • Spray a cookie sheet with PURE.
  • Dip each piece of chicken into the hot sauce mixture and put on cookie sheet.
  • After you’re all done and if you have hot sauce & butter mixture left, pour a little over the top of each wing.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Serve hot with my homemade Bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks if you’d like.

Home made “BLEU” CHEESE DRESSING

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup large curd cottage cheese
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 ounces Bleu cheese crumbles (sometimes I use Gorgonzola for a bit of change or when I accidentally pick up the wrong container at the grocery store and we like it just as well)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • I put it all in my food processor and pulse until it’s well mixed. Chill for 24-48 hours before serving.

CASHEW CHICKEN STIR FRY

CASHEW CHICKEN STIR FRY
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 JUMBO egg white
2 bunches green onions, sliced thin
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup bean sprouts (optional)*
1 cup honey roasted cashews, whole or chopped
1/4 cup sweet cooking rice wine
1/8 cup bead molasses
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Peanut Oil

  • Whisk together the cornstarch and egg white. Coat the chicken strips and chill 1 hour before preparing the meal.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil.
  • Quickly stir fry the mushrooms, onions and bean sprouts.
  • Lift out veggies with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add another tablespoon +/- of peanut oil and heat.
  • Add chicken pieces and stir fry until white and tender.
  • Whisk together the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, bead molasses, salt and sugar. Add to pan and coat chicken well and continue stir frying until most of the liquid is absorbed and chicken is glazed.
  • Add veggies back in as well as the cashews. Mix well and heat through.
  • Serve over rice or with noodles.

*You just can’t always get fresh and I don’t care for the canned.

SOUR CREAM DUTCH APPLE PIE

I love apples – all apples. There I said it. Who can resist a slice of hot apple pie? Hubby want dutch apple, FIL wanted a turnover and I just wanted apples. So I dug into my files and found 3 recipes from grams, a vintage magazine and an old friend. I had never made any of these. Mainly because alone they weren’t all that interesting. They needed some UMPF! so I combined the parts I liked best from all three and came up with my version of Sour Cream Dutch Apple Pie. Together they were awesome.



SOUR CREAM DUTCH APPLE PIE
PIE
3+ cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped
lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 small egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream (not light)
9 inch pastry shell, pre-baked and cooled
TOPPING
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, sliced extremely thin

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Chop the apples and combine with just enough lemon juice to coat and prevent browning in large bowl.
  • In a small bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
  • Fold in the sour cream, egg, vanilla and maple extract until well blended.
  • Fold the sour cream mixture into the apples until well coated.
  • Carefully pour into the pie shell, mounding towards the center.
  • Toss together the topping ingredients until well blended.
  • Sprinkle topping evenly over the apple mound.
  • Lay the pieces of butter all over the top.
  • Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender.
  • Best served with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. If you want to be really decadent try it with Caramel Sauce.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

DECADENT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES (make 4 ramekins)
2 Tablespoons butter + 1 Tablespoon butter
1 ounce Baker’s Bittersweet Chocolate
1 ounce Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 1/4 ounce Baker’s sweet German chocolate
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon flour
1/8 scant teaspoon baking powder
1/8 scant teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar

  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave safe ramekin for 30 seconds, add the bittersweet & semi-sweet chocolate and microwave in 30 second increments until you can stir it smooth.
  • Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
  • Mix together the egg and sugar and beat on high with a hand mixer until slightly thick and turns a dull yellow.
  • Lower speed and add chocolate mixture to egg mixture.
  • By hand stir in the flour mixture until consistent in color.
  • Spoon into ramekins and bake on cookie sheet for 25 minutes or until centers are set.
  • Just after you put these in, prepare the topping.
  • Melt the other tablespoon of butter and then add the German sweet chocolate and melt until you can stir smooth.
  • Just after the brownies come out of the oven, pour the topping over.

GARDEN TOMATO SALSA

GARDEN TOMATO SALSA
6 cups chopped tomatoes
i bunch cilantro, chopped fine
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped fine
Juice of 1 lime*
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
jalapeno, minced to taste

Toss all together and chill 24-48 hours before serving. You end up with about 7 1/2 cups of salsa.

HOT PIZZA SAUCE DIP

HOT PIZZA SAUCE DIP

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
2 tablespoons green onion slices

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine cream cheese and Italian seasoning, spread onto bottom of 8″ mini baker stoneware pan.
  • In a small bowl combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
  • Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese mixture over cream cheese mixture.
  • Spread the pizza sauce over the mozzarella cheese mixture: sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese mixture.
  • Top with green onion.
  • Bake 15-18 minutes or until bubbly.
  • Serve with sliced French bread or fresh vegetables for dipping.

BBQ BAKED BEANS ~ OLD FASHIONED BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Not too long ago I researched Navy beans for my Navy Bean & Ham soup. During that research I also found that navy beans, named that for the bean of choice of the U.S. Navy, are the main bean used in Boston Baked Beans. I have been making my BBQ Bean dinner for years using canned BUSH beans, but decided it was time to make true Boston Baked Beans my way. I found that most versions used salt pork, but I like the bacon too so I chose to use both. You could substitute if your prefer though. I also eliminated all mustard due to an allergy, but also because I prefer the sweeter version.

Here is my version:

BOSTON BAKED BEAN DINNER
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 pound salt pork, cubed & browned
2 large Vidalia or Maui onion, chopped small
4 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 cup ketchup
1 cup molasses
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 pound navy beans

  • Soak beans overnight.
  • Brown hamburger, drain and layer into the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Cube and brown the salt pork. Add to slow cooker.
  • Fry bacon until crisp. Crumble bacon into pieces. Add to slow cooker.
  • Chop onion into small pieces and scatter over the meat.
  • Add the beans to the slow cooker.
  • Scatter the brown sugar over top evenly.
  • Stir together the molasses, ketchup, vinegar, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce. Pour evenly over everything in the slow cooker slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Serve with Beer Bread or Cheddar Cheese Biscuits.
  • Great dish for a church pot luck.

OLD FASHIONED BOSTON BAKED BEANS
1 pound Navy beans, washed and sorted
1/2 pound salt pork, diced small
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup PURE maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses

  • Dice salt pork and layer on bottom of slow cooker.
  • Chop onion and scatter over salt pork pieces.
  • Wash and sort beans.
  • Place beans in slow cooker on top of salt pork.
  • Cover with 5 cups water.
  • Cook on low overnight for 12 hours.
  • Drain beans, reserving liquid.
  • Return beans to slow cooker.
  • Add vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, maple syrup and molasses and blend well.
  • Add in 1/2 cup of bean water as desired for consistency.
  • Heat through for an hour or so.

Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries

I wanted to make something special to take to my nieces house for Superbowl Sunday so thought I’d try Chocolate Covered Cherries. I found the recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. This recipe is sooooooooooooooooo simple, but messy! Have fun making them. They are quite rich though – be forewarned!

1 cup butter, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 pounds confectioners sugar (about 8 cups)
3-10 ounce jars maraschino cherries(about 120 cherries), really well drained
1-2 pounds milk chocolate candy coating, chopped (I used almond bark)

  • Combine butter and milk until smooth.
  • Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar until a soft dough forms.
  • Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten into 2 inch circles.
  • Place a cherry in the center of each one.
  • Wrap sides around cherry until cherry is completely covered and roll into a smooth ball.
  • Melt chocolate until smooth and dip each ball into the chocolate.
  • Place on wax paper until cool and sprinkle with sprinkles.
  • Cool well.