Asparagus and Eggs

1 bunch    asparagus
2 Tbsp    oil
1/2 tsp    salt
juice of 1/2    lemon or orange
4    eggs
1/4 cup    milk or cream
1/2 tsp    salt
1/2 tsp    pepper
2 Tbsp    butter

Trim the bottoms of the asparagus stalks and cut the stalks into bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and salt and toss. Cook for 4-5 minutes. In the meantime, beat the eggs in a bowl with the milk, salt and pepper. Melt the butter in another frypan over medium- high heat. Pour in the eggs and stir slowly until all of the egg is cooked, about 3 minutes. Drain the asparagus and serve. Nice with hot buttered toast.

Quick and Simple Tomato Sauce

3 Tbsp    oil
1    onion, chopped fine
3    cloves garlic, chopped
4    very ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp    tomato paste
1/3 cup    red wine
1/2 tsp    salt
1/4 cup    fresh basil

Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic to the frypan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onion starts to turn clear. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine, reduce the heat to low, cover and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. You may need to check the sauce once in awhile to make sure there is still a little liquid in the pan (if not, just add some water or more wine). Season the sauce with the salt and basil, and serve over your favourite cooked pasta.

Mushrooms and Garlic

2 Tbsp    butter or oil
3/4 lb    mushrooms, quartered
1 clove    garlic, chopped
a squeeze of    lemon juice
a sprig of    parsley or mint, chopped
salt
pepper

Melt the butter in a frypan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring. Add the lemon juice and cook for a further 2 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, season with salt and pepper and serve.

MUSHROOMS on English Muffins

1 lb mushrooms, wiped & sliced
2 cups sweet vermouth
8 slices Swiss cheese
16 slices bacon, cooked
4 English muffins, toasted, divided

This is one of my favorite Sunday morning treats!

Simmer mushrooms in vermouth in saucepan until vermouth disappears, about 25-30 minutes, uncovered. Divide mushroom mixture into 8 equal portions and spread on English muffins. Place 2 slices cooked bacon on top of each muffin half. Place slice of cheese over bacon. Broil until cheese is melted. Makes 8 muffin slices. The taste is amazing!

Submitted by Jerri Clark Kirby

Spinach Salad with Braised Plums and Goat Cheese

2 handfuls fresh spinach
4 prune plums, pitted and halved
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar plus a sprinkle
1/2 cup apple juice or good wine
vegetable oil
1/2 stick goat cheese (the cylindrical kind)
almonds or hazelnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

Wash well and dry your spinach. Lightly toast the nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat remove and chop coarsely. Pour about a tsp of oil into the pan and then add the plums, balsamic vinegar, juice and sugar (save a tiny bit of sugar to sprinkle over the plums just before you add them to the salad). Reduce heat to medium-low then reduce the liquid until it is slightly syrupy. You may wish to remove the plums earlier if they are cooking too quickly as they are best kept rather firm. While the balsamic mixture is reducing, cut the goat cheese into 4 medallions and roll each in the chopped nuts. Place cheese on a small plate and place in the toaster oven or regular oven at 350F for 5-10 minutes. By this time, the dressing should be reduced. I like to serve this on individual salad plates just because it looks so lovely that way. Place a handful of spinach on each plate and drizzle a bit of oil over each. Place 4 plum halves on each spinach “bed” then drizzle half the balsamic mixture over each salad. Sprinkle the plums with the tiniest bit of sugar to make them sparkle. Add the warm goat cheese medallions. This is a sumptuous salad. So many lovely flavours and textures all together and gorgeous to look at…better than the sum of its parts if that

Moroccan Carrot Salad

2    large carrots, chopped into wedges
6    radishes, sliced thin
a handful of    black olives
1 clove    garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp    ground cumin or cumin seed
1/4 tsp    paprika
a pinch of    cinnamon
a pinch of    cayenne
salt
a squeeze of    fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup    olive oil
a couple of sprigs of    parsley, chopped

Bring a pot of water to the boil over high heat. Cook the carrots until tender, about 5 minutes, and then rinse them under cold water. Drain the carrots and toss with the radishes and olives. Combine the rest of the ingredients, as well as the chopped garlic and parsley, to make a marinade. Pour the marinade over the carrot mixture and serve.

3 types of mashed potatoes

3 white or yellow potatoes, cooked

1/4 cup cream

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

 

Mash the potatoes a bit with a fork or a potato masher. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mash until smooth. Serve immediately.

Garlic: add 2 cloves minced garlic

Parsley and green onions: add 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 2 chopped green onions

Cheese: add 1/4 cup crumbled rocquefort (or any kind of blue cheese) or cheddar, grated, leave out butter when mashing potatoes.

Thai Coconut Rice

2 Tbsp    oil, or use the cream from the coconut milk
3 cloves    garlic, chopped
2    chili peppers
1 Tbsp    lemon zest
2    shallots, chopped
1 cup    cup long grain rice (jasmine is nice)
1 tsp    salt
1 14oz tin    coconut milk

Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic, chili peppers, zest and shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to crisp. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, until it starts to turn clear. Add the salt and coconut milk, bring to a boil and stir once. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer without lifting the lid for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off, let the rice sit for 5 minutes (covered) and serve.

Biryani – an East Indian rice casserole

1/4 cup    oil or ghee or butter
1    onion, chopped
2    cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp    ground cumin
1/2 tsp    coriander, ground or whole
1/2 tsp    turmeric
1/2 tsp    fennel seeds
1/2 lb    ground lamb
2 tsp    salt
1 cup    basmati rice
2 cups    stock
a pinch of    saffron, soaked in 1 Tbsp milk
a handful of    cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat the oil in an ovenproof saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and spices and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lamb, break it up and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and rice, cook for 1 minute, until the rice starts to turn clear. Stir in the stock and saffron, bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked. Serve with chopped cilantro sprinkled over top.

Dirty Rice (New Orleans style)

2 Tbsp    oil
2    chicken or duck livers
3    green onions, chopped
3-4 cloves    garlic, chopped
1 tsp    paprika
1/2 tsp    pepper
a pinch of    cayenne
1/2 tsp    salt
2 cups    cooked rice

Heat a saucepan over high heat, add the oil. Add the liver and cook for 3-4 minutes, until done. Remove from pan. To the same pan, add the green onions and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring. In the meantime, chop the liver and return it to the pan. Add the spices, salt and rice and cook for one more minute.

Next Page »