Smoked Sausage & Cabbage

OK for those of you that don't like cabbage, listen up--this is a very tasty way to eat it, and not feel like you are eating cabbage.  I'm not a big fan of it, unless it is in a fish taco, creamed, or married with bacon.  This recipe calls for an entire head, you can use either red or white, I normally use white because it is available more frequently.  Also, if the ingredients sound strange, they did to me the first time too.  Now I've marked the page in my recipe book with the comment, "Andi's favourite" (that's me, in case you are wondering).

Smoked Sausage & Cabbage

• 1 small head red cabbage, shredded
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1.5 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 pound kielbasa (or any smoked) sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions

1. Place the cabbage in a large saucepan, and add the diced apple, 1 teaspoon of the salt, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil then simmer, covered, about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
2. In a small frying pan, melt butter.  Sauté the onion until golden. Add the onion to the cabbage along with .5 teaspoon salt, pepper, vinegar and sausage. Cook, covered, 20 to 30 minutes until sausage is heated through.

This is where I hop:

Slow Cooker Carnitas

I love my slow cooker.  Normally I use it when I will be away all day or too busy with other things to cook.  Woe to me, however, if I'm in the house while I'm using it and have to smell delicious cooking smells all day long.  I swear my stomach rumbles all day. Here is a new recipe I just tried, and it is very good.  It is shredded Mexican pork, which we used to make soft tacos.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup chicken broth (I used a bullion cube and water) 

 
Mix together spices in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaf in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 7 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 3 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. 

Ok, here is how I changed the recipe, it isn't much.  I only had two pork shoulder steaks which were maybe a pound instead of the 2lb required in this recipe.  I still made it exactly the same, so when the pork was done I had loads of liquid.  I dumped everything into a saucepan, removing the bay leaf, and shredded the pork with two forks.  Then I put it on to boil and reduced the sauce down.  It only took 10-15 minutes on medium heat, and it left me with really succulent shredded pork, it was very good.

We used the shredded pork to make soft tacos (because the tortillas I had in the freezer were too small for burritos).  To make the tacos we added shredded lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, salsa.  Then we had Mexican rice on the side.  Yum!

Here is where I HOP:

Lemon Grass Pork

This recipe is another gem from my favourite cookbook.  It is an Thai recipe in an I
ndian cookbook. I love that! The recipe is called Lemon Grass Pork, and it is great because:

1) it tastes fabulous 
2) you can make it with anything you have on hand
3) it tastes fabulous

Here is my revised recipe:

Lemon Grass Pork

1/2 lb pork loin, chopped (would probably also be great with tofu or chicken)
2 lemon grass stalks, finely chopped
4 spring onions or 1 small onion
1 tsp salt
12 black peppercorns, crushed
2 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp dried red chilli (1 fresh if you prefer)
1 tsp light brown sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
1/2 cup raw cashews
mixture of fresh or frozen vegetables that you like! I almost always use carrots, broccoli, green beans, and then whatever else is around.
brown rice to serve


Directions:
Cut up the pork and onion, put in a bowl or Tupperware.  Add lemon grass, salt and crushed peppercorns, mix well.  Cover and leave in fridge to marinate 30 minutes.


Preheat wok, add the oil and swirl it around.  Add the pork mixture and cook over medium heat for around 3 minutes, until browned.


Add garlic and chilli and cook for a further 5-8 minutes over a medium heat, until pork is cooked through.  If using fresh vegetables such as carrots and broccoli, add them now as they take longer to cook than frozen vegetables.


Add the sugar, fish sauce, and freezer vegetables.  Toss to mix and then heat through.  At this stage if the rice isn't ready or whatever, I turn it to low, put the lid on the wok, and walk away.  It can cook on low for another 20 minutes if you would like.  Then add the cashews, and sprinkle with fresh coriander. 

Here is where I hop:

Tuna Melt

I don't know about your weather, but our May has been terrible!  Rain, rain, rain, and now incredibly strong winds for about a week now.  I am well and truly sick of it, and the fact that I had to dig out a sweater this morning when I feel like it should be time to turn the heating off.  

At times like these I need comfort food.  Here is a quick, and I think indulgent lunch without being too bad for you.  Or at least, I figure anything that has lettuce and tomato can't be ALL bad for you!

Tuna Melt

2 slices of bread

1/2 a can of tuna, drained

1 tbs mayo or whatever you usually use, I use plain yoghurt when I want to feel healthy

1 tbs diced onion

splash red wine vinegar (really gives it zing!)

parsley if you have it.  I was too cowardly to brave the rain to snip some from the garden.  It was THAT terrible out.

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 a tomato

a couple leaves of lettuce

mozzarella cheese

First, dice your onion and add it to the mayo and tuna in a bowl.  Add salt and pepper, vinegar, and parsley if you have it.  A little bit of dill is nice too. Mix it all around.

I took one slice of bread and spread some spicy Coleman's mustard on it.  This gives it a nice zing!  Then I spread on the tuna and topped it with sliced tomatoes.  Next sprinkle on some mozzarella cheese and put under your grill or broiler until the cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and add lettuce and top piece of bread.  Slice.  Enjoy.  That easy.  That good!

Here is where I hop:

Oh, and one last thing, I'm in the finals of a cooking competiton, please, if you have a minute, vote for me!! THANK YOU

Tarka Dhal

I made a couple of really tasty dishes last week, here is one of them:

Tarka Dhal 

(all of my veggie friends, pay attention, this one is for you!)

First, let me tell you about my favourite cookbook--ever!  I mean, I do love my good old red and white chequered Better Homes and Gardens (everyone should have a copy I think)

 but it can't compare to this book when it comes to tasty meals:

Years ago I was in a cheap book outlet (I can't resist) and they had a special on cookbooks.  I bought this Indian one, a Chinese one, and a Polish one.  By FAR this is a book I use once a week.  The other two are headed to the car boot sale in a few weeks. The recipes are amazing, and not just Indian.  There are several that are Thai (I have no idea why they are in an Indian book, but I LOVE Thai) and loads of vegetarian and rice dishes.  What I'm saying is, I love this book!  

Anyway, here is the recipe that I made.  It is vegetarian, and full of lentil goodness.  Lentils are amazing.  I'm just saying.

Tarka Dhal

1 cup red lentils

1/2 cup yellow split peas

5 cups water (or chicken broth, or vegetable broth)

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste, depends on how salting your broth is)

either a fresh green pepper, chopped, or dried red chilies

For the Tarka

2 tbs oil

1 onion, sliced

1-2 tomatoes, chopped

handful of mushrooms, sliced

handful (or two) fresh spinach

1) Boil all the lentils and yellow split peas in the water/broth with the ginger, garlic, turmeric and chilies.  Cook until soft.  The book says 15-20 minutes but in my world/kitchen it is much longer, like 45 minutes.

2) Mash the mixture with a fork until it has the consistency of a creamy chicken soup.  I don't really mash mine, probably because I cook it for so long.  Also, my husband likes a coarser texture.

3) If the lentil mixture looks to dry, add a bit more water.  Season with the salt.  To prepare the tarka, heat the oil in a heavy pan and fry the onion.  Then Add the tomatoes and spinach until the spinach is wilted.

4) Spoon the lentils into a serving dish and pour the tarka on top.  Garnish with fresh coriander and mint (if you have it).  

Serves about 4.

An odd mix??

I'll just go ahead and admit that sometimes I may eat odd things together.  I am not a fussy eater, I just eat what I like and stay happy.  My husband says when we first met (in co-ed housing during my master's program) one night for dinner I had a bowl of cereal followed by crab sticks (the fake kind made out of fish, see how un-fancy I am) with fiery hot cocktail sauce.  I actually do remember that night, because the cocktail sauce was so good.  I like to add loads of horseradish and lemon juice to mine.  But I digress.  Here is what I made for dinner the other night, and it was delicious.

Cheesy Pepperoni Quick Bread

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup quartered pepperoni slices, about 32 slices (I used salami)
     * I also added chopped black olives and sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray small bread pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper into the bowl of a stand or electric mixer, mix to combine.  Slowly add in eggs, oil, buttermilk, Parmesan, Mozzarella and pepperoni until just combined.  Pour half of batter into prepared bread pan that measures 9x5x2 3/4-inches.  Top evenly with marinara sauce then pour remaining batter over sauce.  Top with Italian seasoning and additional Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center.  Let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan.  Slice and serve warm or room temperature.

With the pizza bread (it was wonderful by the way) I served up some asparagus soup.  I know, you are shaking your head at me and say, "What, ANOTHER asparagus recipe??"  But I have a good excuse, really I do.  I am a big proponent of not wasting food, and if I buy something, I will try to use it no matter what.  Well, I bought two bunches of asparagus last week, and one bunch went into the Asparagus & Pea Pasta I've already blogged about.  Well the second bunch just sat there looking more and more sad and wilty, until I felt it was only good enough for soup.  Thankfully, I LOVE asparagus soup.  Here is the recipe I used:

Fresh Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine asparagus, chopped onion, and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until asparagus is tender, about 12 minutes. Process the mixture in a blender to puree the vegetables. Set aside.
2. In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining chicken broth, and increase the heat to medium. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils. Stir in the asparagus purée and the milk.
3. Put the sour cream in a small bowl, and stir in a ladle-full of the hot soup. Add the sour cream mixture and the lemon juice to the soup. Stir while heating the soup to serving temperature, but don't allow it to boil. Serve immediately.

Spring Pasta

If you've read my other recent food posts, you'll know that I love asparagus.  This is another delicious dish I have just tried.  I've linked to the original, which I am sure would be wonderful, however I had to modify to what was in my cupboard.  I try not to run out to the store for extra ingredients if I can avoid it.

Asparagus & Pea Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, but left whole 
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 3 slices back bacon (optional)
• 25g parmesan, grated
• 250g pasta, any shape/kind you have

1. Cut (or snap) off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus, then neatly cut the tips away from the stalks. Keep the tips and stalks separate. In a small saucepan heat the yogurt, milk and garlic to just below a boil. Take off the heat, set the pan aside. 
2. Dice bacon and cook.  Set aside. 
3. Cook the asparagus stalks in boiling salted water for about 4-5 mins until tender, drain, then tip into the milk mixture with the grated parmesan. Blitz with a hand blender (or a Cuisinart) until smooth.
4. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions, then throw in the tips and frozen peas (get crazy and add extra veg you want!) 2 mins before the end of cooking time. Gently reheat the milk mixture, drain pasta, then tip into a bowl with the milk mixture. Add in bacon.  Toss, divide into pasta bowls, top with parmesan shavings if desired and serve. 

The hubby and I LOVED this dish. It is fast, healthy, and satisfying! A few days later I was wanting to relive the goodness of this dish, so I came up with another one, for lunch.

What I did was to cook enough pasta for one bowl (ok, I made a bit too much) for my lunch.  When the pasta was almost done I added some frozen peas and frozen spinach to the water.  Then I drained it all and added it back into the warm pot.  I added about 1/2-1 tbs butter and some grated parmesan cheese.  Then I chopped a hard boiled egg onto the pasta, sprinkled with salt and pepper and tucked in.  It was great, filling, and fast (I already had some eggs boiled).

Rhubarb Jam

One of the first things I do each time we move house is to plant rhubarb.  It is such a lovely plant, requiring very little care and is ready to start eating in about 2 years (depending on the size you plant).  I have 5 plants just now, of various ages, and I'll miss them when we move.


Well, with the husband dieting, the girls not liking rhubarb, and myself not wanting to be a glutton and eat an entire rhubarb crumble by myself, I decided to make jam instead.  That way I can have the tart sugary goodness all year round.  I've never made rhubarb jam before, but I did eat it once at a B&B we stayed at in the before era (you know, before we had kids) and liked it quite a lot.  I found a rather tasty looking recipe on the BBC Good food site, so I gave it a try.  I didn't have a kilo, so I reduced the recipe to suit what I did have.

Rhubarb & Vanilla Jam

812g rhubarb
812g caster sugar
8g pectin
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla (I didn't have pods and didn't want to run to the store)


Directions:

1. Put a small plate in the freezer. Put the rhubarb into a preserving pan or your largest saucepan with the sugar and halved vanilla pods. Heat gently, stirring, until all the sugar has dissolved, then squeeze in the lemon juice and increase the heat. 

2.  Boil for about 10 minutes, skimming off the scum as you go (the fruit should be soft, I mashed my further with a potato masher). Test for setting point by spooning a little onto your chilled plate. After 1-2 mins, push your finger through the jam - if the surface wrinkles it is ready, if not, keep cooking for 2-min intervals, testing in between. (Or if you have a sugar thermometer it should reach 105C)


3.  Once the jam is ready, let it cool for about 15 mins before ladling into warm sterilised jars and sealing. Will keep for 6 months in a cool, dark place.


I got 3 full jars and one that is about 1/2 full. You know what that means right? I have to open the 1/2 full jar and eat it first.  It tastes wonderful on some home made bread!

2 Egg Omlet

I am doing my very best to be a good girl, and not eat too many sweets.  It is hard for me, since I love all things baked.  Or fried.  Or generally not good for you.

The other day I was at the shop and I picked up a copy of the magazine Delicious, which I had never read before.  It was fabulous!  I read it cover to cover and ear-marked just about 10 recipes to try.  Here is one that I adapted to suit myself, and it was delicious.  It was a great lunch, and would be a good dinner when hubby is at the hospital late.

2 Egg Omelet

Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork until frothy.  Don't add milk--I was trained to add a bit of milk by my mother, but it really isn't necessary for this recipe.  Do add a bit of white pepper though, it is lovely!  Set aside.

I don't like raw tomatoes (one of my many quirks) so I sautéed 1/2 a tomato and and a handful of raw spinach in a tiny bit of olive oil until they were soft.  I added a bit of salt and pepper and garlic powder. Then I took them out of the pan (plopped them on my plate is more accurate.)

You can even see the steam coming off it!

I have a lovely little anondized frying pan that is perfect for the little omelet.  It doesn't need much oil and it is such a good tool I feel a better cook when I use it.  My point here is that I didn't need to add any more oil, you might need to if you have a different style pan.  Add the eggs and cook on a medium heat.  When the edges start to get done, use a spatula to lift one side a bit and tilt the pan so the egg runs under.  Then do it again on the other side.  This prevents a raw bit in the middle.  I can't abide undercooked eggs.

When the egg is cooked all the way through (you can flip it over if you have the confidence), add your favorite ingredients to one half of the omelet.  Mine were:
     * sautéed 1/2 tomato and handful of spinach
     * 2 thin slices of ham lunch meat, diced
     * a bit of grated Swiss cheese

Then fold the omelet over and cook a wee bit longer until the cheese is melted and it is hot through.  Enjoy!

I had the omelet with my home made baked beans.  You can follow the link to the recipe if you are interested.  They are perfect for beans on toast!

Funnel Cake Fun

Through the course of my many blog hops, I ended up at a Latte' with Ott, A and saw the Clabber Girl Contest going on.  I can't help but be interested in 

 A) baking

   B) a contest 

I'm not so very competitive, but I do love to share recipes with other people.  I also like to take yummy, scrummy, perhaps high in fat or calorie recipes and try to trim them down so they are healthier, but still delicious.  I know that funnell cakes are traditionally deep fried, but I'm just not having that in our house.  I fried each cake in about 1 tbs canola oil, which I will admit made them more "cake-like" and less crispy.  They were however, still delicious.  Here is my take on Funnel Cakes!

I reduced the recipe to make 4 funnel cakes, which is perfect for the girls and I to have as an afternoon snack.  There isn't much point in having left overs, or having too many and wanting to eat them all! 

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2-3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3-4 tbs canola/vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix salt, baking powder, and flour. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, sugar and milk. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Batter will be thin enough to run through a funnel. I had to add more milk to the mixture, but I didn't measure how much.  I just added until it was thin.  Conversely, the instructions say to add the flour a bit at a time until you reach desire consistency.
3. In a skillet, heat 1 tbs oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Put your finger over the bottom opening of the funnel, and fill the funnel with a generous 1/2 cup of the batter. Hold the funnel close to the surface of the oil, and release the batter into the oil while making a circular motion. Fry until golden brown. Use tongs and wide spatula to turn the cake over carefully. Fry the second side one minute.  Sprinkle with sifted confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar. Add 1 tbs oil for each funnel cake you will fry.  If you have a good non-stick pan you can actually skip most of the oil, but the edges won't be crispy.

Asparagus = Spring

For me, spring-time is heralded by the appearance of asparagus.  You can only get British grown asparagus for a few weeks, and you have to act fast!  I called them "little trees" when I was a child, and refused to eat them.  It is sad to think of all those years I wasn't enjoying this crunchy green goodness.  In fact, I don't think I really appreciated them until we bought a property that had a big patch already established.  As I'm not one to waste, I had to put them to good use.  Now I can't get enough! 

Asparagus in Puff Pastry

2 cups water

24 fresh asparagus spears (about 1 pound), trimmed

1 package (8 ounces/250g) reduced-fat cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package (17-1/4 ounces) frozen puff pastry dough, thawed

1 egg, whisked

Bacon, cooked and diced (optional).  I used about 4 small rashers.

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, bring water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and cook for 3 minutes. 
Drain asparagus and immediately place in ice water; drain and pat dry. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and salt until smooth; set aside. 

Unfold the dough on a lightly floured surface. Mine came as a brick, which I cut in 1/2 width-wise and rolled each out separately. I skipped the second next step.  If your dough didn't come as a brick you will probably roll it out and then cut it in 1/2, so you have two rectangles. 


For each rectangle, spread cream cheese mixture lengthwise over half of the dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Arrange a row of 1/2 the asparagus spears lengthwise in a single layer over cream cheese. Sprinkle with chopped bacon, if using.

Sorry about this poor picture, but you get the idea

Brush edges of dough with some of the egg; fold dough over filling and press edges together to seal. I used a fork to seal the edge.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

If making for appetisers or finger food, cut width-wise into 1-1/4-in. pieces. Place 1 in. apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush with remaining egg wash. Bake at 425° for 8-12 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Yield: 28 servings.

I didn't cut these into appetiser size portions as I was serving them as a meal.  I just cut each folded rectangle into eight pieces (the left overs will be perfect for a picnic tomorrow if the weather cooperates).  The kids loved brushing on the egg wash.  I served these up next to a big bowl of broccoli soup and it was a great meal.

Harira

The hubby and I love all different kinds of cuisine.  Right now we are loving Moroccan.  A few nights ago I made Harira, and it was really good!  I've linked up the original recipe I used, and below I'll write it out how I made it.  Of course I can't make something without changing it a bit to suit our tastes.

Harira

Ingredients:

1/2 pound cubed lamb meat 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1 onion, chopped 1 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 (14 ounce? you know, regular soup can size) can diced tomatoes 3-1/2 cups water 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons green lentils 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained 1 eggs, beaten 1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1.	Place the lamb, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, olive oil, onion, and cilantro into a large soup pot over a low heat. Stir frequently for 5 minutes. Pour tomatoes into the mixture and let simmer for 15 minutes.
2.	Pour water and the lentils into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Let soup simmer, covered, for 2 hours.
3.	About 10 minutes before serving turn the heat to medium-high, place chickpeas into the soup, let cook about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon and egg, let cook 1 minute.

I served it with crusty bread, you can find the recipe here.  The harira was really very tasty.  It was also very filling.  I think next time I make it (oh yes, I'll make it again) I'll leave out the egg.  Perhaps not authentic, but it works for me.

Blog Hops

Butternut Bisque

The other day I was at the shop and I couldn't resist the selection of butternut squash.  It is, by far, my second favourite squash.  In my mind nothing can compare to a pumpkin, but that's just me!

I've been making this recipe for several years now, so I have no idea where it originally came from.  I lovingly typed it out on a 3x5 index card and stuck it in my recipe box.  I've gotten better about sighting sources now.

Butternut Bisque

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and cubed butternut squash (I just use one good size squash and don't bother measuring)
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• salt to taste, the recipe calls for 1/4 tsp but if you use a bullion cube for your stock better to taste first
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 cup milk
• Plain yoghurt (or sour cream) to top (optional)

Directions

** I used to always slave over peeling the squash and then cooking it in the broth.  Now I slice it in half, remove the seeds, and microwave it until tender.  Then the skin is easy to par away with a knife.  I find it so much easier!

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender.
2. Add squash into the pot. Pour in stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until  tender. This usually takes 20-25 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool a bit before the next step, I usually leave it for about 10 minutes.
4. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup mixture until smooth. Return to the pot, and stir in the milk, allspice, salt and pepper. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve warm with yoghurt or sour cream. 

To go with the soup I made a spinach salad that was just yummy!  I wasn't sure how it would taste from the ingredients, but I followed the directions on the link I've added above and my faith paid off!  I did add some carmelized onion sausage and diced cheese as well, because I can't help myself.  It tasted like summer!

Blog Hops

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

Having grown up Phoenix, and then Southern California, it is a given that I love Mexican food.  Living in Scotland, one of the things I miss (besides Robins Eggs Easter candy, oh how I pine for you) is the readily available ingredients for cooking Mexican dishes.  Of course, that doesn't stop me, so here is a really tasty (and healthy) recipe for making enchiladas from scratch--sauce and all.  The sauce is really more like a mole, but it is divine so I don't care what it should or shouldn't be called.  I tried out numerous enchilada sauce recipes before I found this one.

This recipe also shows up my frugal side.  I have a firm belief that if you cook a (free range please) chicken you should use every part of it you can.  Therefore, even if we have a roast chicken, I throw the carcass in the slow cooker and make broth, and then freeze or can it.  This time I bought the chicken and had hubby chop it up for two different recipes I wanted to make, and into the slow cooker the carcass went.  The recipe below uses 6 cups chicken broth, so it was prefect to make this the next day.  After I make the stock, I always (and I don't like this part much) strip any last meat off the bones.  That is the meat I used for this dish, because you really don't need much, with those delicious black beans.

Enchilada sauce

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 tsp chili powder (do this to taste, esp, if using a hot one)

4 cups chicken broth

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cumin

½ oz dark chocolate (this is a must, don't leave it out!)

Black bean and chicken enchiladas

1 can black beans--I used home canned, so I don't drain them, but if used store bought you probably want to drain them.

½ cup plain yogurt

¼ cup cilantro

1 tomato, chopped

½ cup whole black olives

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground corriander

½ cup chopped chicken

5- 8” flour tortillas
3/4 cup cheese, or as much as you like.  I just grate it over the pan until I am satisfied. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

 

In a bowl combine all ingredients except the flour tortillas.  Mix to combine. 

 

Spread one third of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish. Take one tortilla and spoon mixture down the centre, fold in either side. 

 

Place seam side down in pan.  Repeat 4 more times. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the top, sprinkle on cheese. Cover dish with a lid or aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the covercontinue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

 

 

 

Serve with Mexican Rice, sorry I don't have a picture of it.  Let me just say I searched for a good Spanish rice dish forever, and this is it.  Only as the same says it isn't Spanish, it is Mexcan!

Blog Hops