Ham and Potato Soup

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.  This wonderful ham and potato soup is just the thing to warm you up on a cold winter day when the North wind is blowing.  It is easy to make with ingredients you may have in the pantry.  I had a some leftover  ham to dice up, but at the market they sell packages of ham that has been diced for you.  The chicken stock gives the soup a real depth of flavor.  If you have some homemade chicken stock use it of course.  If not, one of those cartons of chicken broth that I always keep in the pantry works very well.  The finishing touch is a bit of crisp bacon sprinkled on the top.  Sheer heaven. 

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup diced cooked ham

3 cups of water

2 cups of chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

Garnish:

3 strips of bacon fried until crisp and chopped

Directions:

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk and continue stirring over low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour the milk and flour mixture into the stockpot, and cook gently until heated through. 

Garnish the soup with a little crisp bacon on the top and serve.  Bon apetit my friends!

Eye of the Round Roast - Easy and Delicious

Eye of the Round Roast was my nemisis for many years.  I tried so many ways to prepare it and none of them were satisfactory.  Beef that has been cooked long and slow with a cover so that it simmers until it is tender is not my cup of tea.  Then I found this way of preparing an Eye of the Round Roast and it was perfect.  The meat was tender, well seasoned, rare in the middle with a delicous brown crust.  The best part is that it is so easy, but you have to follow the directions exactly. This recipe is for a 3 pound roast.  If you have a bigger roast you should calculate 7 minutes of roasting for each pound. 

Ingredients:

3 pound Eye of the Round Roast of Beef
sea salt to taste
freshly gound black pepper, be generous
garlic powder to taste, enough to cover all surfaces
extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover the outside of the roast
Herbes de Provence, enough to lightly cover the roast all around

Method:

Heat the oven up to 500 degress Farenheit.  Yes, that us very hot, but this is how you sear the meat and seal in all of the wonderful juices.

When the oven is really hot, put the roast which you have placed in an oven proof dish big enough to hold it and pop it in the oven.  Immediately turn the oven down to 475 degrees Farenheit.  Set the timer for exactly 21 minutes, no more, no less. 

When the timer rings at the end of 21 minutes, turn the oven off.  Do not for any reason open the oven door for the next 2 and 1/2 hours.   You will be tempted, but do not peek.

When everything else that you plan to serve is ready, open the oven door and you will find the most delicious roast beef with some very good juices in the pan. The internal temperature will be about 140 degrees F.  Using a very sharp knife, slice the meat very thinly against the grain and serve.

If you like to serve the beef au jus, add a some beef stock to the pan to deglaze it and serve the juices over the sliced meat.  Hasselback potatoes and green beans blanched and sauteed in a little garlic and olive oil are perfect with this roast. 

The leftover cold sliced beef makes wonderful sandwiches with a bit of hot sweet mustard, some arugula and a slice of  Provolone.   Enjoy.

Spinach, Feta and Basil Frittata with Baby Heirloom Tomatoes

Frittatas are so easy to make and even easier to clean up. A few eggs, a little fresh basil, a handful of spinach and some feta cheese, that’s all you need to have a delicious and very satisfying meal. Chopped fresh baby heirloom tomatoes and black olives on the top are the perfect finishing touch. Deee-licous!

4 eggs
2-3 tablespoons of milk
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 cup of fresh baby spinach, stemmed and roughly chopped
3 green onions, sliced on a slant including some green tops
½ cup Greek feta cheese crumbled
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh basil roughly chopped
3 or 4 baby heirloom tomatoes roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pitted and roughly chopped black Kalamata olives

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 F.

Whisk together eggs and milk and set aside. In an oven safe skillet heat the olive oil, add the spinach, green onions, salt and pepper, and cook on medium for 5-7 minutes until spinach has wilted. Now pour the egg mixture over the spinach and onions. Mix in some of the feta cheese and. cook for an additional 5 minutes on low heat until the eggs begin to set. Sprinkle the remaining feta over the top of the eggs and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 5 minutes until the frittata is firm. Sprinkle a little fresh basil, some chopped baby heirloom tomaotoes and roughly chopped Kalamata olives with a bit of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the top. That is some fabulous healthy eating. Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom Soup withThai Red Curry

This wild mushroom soup is made bright, colorful and so appetizing with the addition of fresh herbs, finely minced carrot, and a little Thai Red Curry Paste. Browning the mushrooms with the carrots gives the soup a woodsy roasted taste that is amazing. The Thai Red Curry Paste adds a touch of heat and the dry white wine brings out the wonderful sweet earthy taste of the mushrooms.

2 tablespoon good olive oil
16 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

16 ounces of wild mushrooms cleaned and roughly chopped

¼ cup finely minced fresh carrots

¼ cup finely minced celery

1 sweet red onion, roughly chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon of butter

1 teaspoon of Thai Red Curry paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, leaves only roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped

1 tablespoons fresh parsley roughly chopped
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups good homemade chicken stock

¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup greek yoghurt

Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a large saute pan. Save your best Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a salad. A bottle of good olive oil is just fine for this soup. Use a food processor of finely chop the carrots and celery. Add the mushrooms, carrots celery and a teaspooon of thyme to the pot. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute until the moisture released from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms , carrots and celery begins to brown. This should take approximately 15-20 minutes, so please don't rush the process. Next add 1 tablespoon of butter, the teaspoon of Thai Red Curry Paste, onion, garlic, and rosemary and saute everything 2 to 3 minutes more until the garlic is softened and the spices in the Thai Curry Paste are released.

Now add the chicken stock and the white wine, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. The last step is to mix in the greek yoghurt, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer for 1 minute just until the yoghurt is heated through and serve.

Thai Coconut Rice

This is so easy to make and so delicious with Asian Glazed Salmon or Lake Trout with a Citrus Glaze.   If you don't have Jasmine rice, Aborio rice or regular rice works just as well. 

Ingredients:

1 cups Thai jasmine white rice

1 can good-quality coconut milk (not lite)

1 1/2 cup of water

2 heaping Tbsp. dry shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish (see instructions below recipe)

Preparation:

Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. You will need a tight-fitting lid.

Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to a verey low simmer.  Cover tightly with a lid and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. To check, pull rice aside with a fork. If most of the coconut milk-water is gone, go on to the next step.

Replace the lid and turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. The Coconut Rice will stay warm this way for up to 1 hour or more!

When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork. Taste and add more salt if needed. Top the rice with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and finely chopped fresh parsley.

To toast coconut: Place 1/4 cup dry shredded coconut, or more, in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir  or "dry fry" until a light golden brown.  Do not leave the pan unattended while doing this as it browns rather quickly and can easily become too brown.

Asian Glazed Wild-Caught Salmon

The wild-caught salmon looked so good at the fish market yesterday that we had to bring some home for dinner.  The wild-caught salmon was a deep rosy color while the farm-raised salmon was a much paler shade.  Preparing the fish with this delicious Asian glaze is so easy.  A side dish of coconut rice with toasted coconut on top was also prepared together with asparagus with just a little orange balsamic vinaigrette to top it off.  A deliciously perfect dinner at the end of a beautiful day.

Ingredients:

6 to 8 ounces of wild-caught salmon fillets for each person

Marinade:
1/4 cup of Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup of Thai Fish Sauce
1/4 cup of honey
2 large cloves of garlic peeled and put through a press
2 tablespoons of lime juice

Note:  This is enough marinade for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds of salmon.

Directions:

Mix the Hoisin Sauce, Thai Fish Sauce, honey, garlic and lime juice together.  Marinate the salmon, skin side up, in this mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Turn the salmon over, skin side down, in a baking pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil.  Use a spoon to pour some of the marinade over the fish again.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the flesh at the thickest part flakes easily with a fork.   

Serve with some Thai Coconut Rice.

Zucchini Gratin with Fresh Basil

Zucchini with onions, garlic and fresh basil is very delicious.  Add some fresh eggs, milk and grated parmesan cheese and it becomes even better in a lovely gratin hot out of the oven. Sprinkle a little olive oil on the bread crumbs and cheese which gives the gratin a lovely brown top. 

Ingredients:

1 medium size zucchini about 8 ounces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion sliced

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 ½  oz. homemade bread crumbs

salt and pepper

Fresh basil leaves roughly chopped

¼ cup grated Parmiggiano Reggiano

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).  Slice the zucchini and onion and sauté in olive oil in a skillet with the garlic and chopped basil for about 10 minutes. When the zucchini and onion slices are lightly browned, spread them in a gratin dish. First the zucchini then the onions. In a bowl combine the eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Add a TB or 2 of Parmesan if you like. Pour over the zucchini.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs, parmesan and sprinkle lightly with olive oil.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted root vegetables are treasures worthy of notice. They are available in winter when other vegetables are hard to find and very inexpensive. Turnips, potatoes, rutabagas, carrots, onions, beets and parsnips all have great taste when roasted with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs. The more fresh herbs the better for this dish. There is no need to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil since you will be roasting the vegetables. Any good Olive Oil will do.

Ingredients:

2 pounds assorted root vegetables peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
2 or 3 tablespoons good olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled and smashed
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar
smoked sea salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut all the pieces of vegetables to about the same size so they will cook evenly.  Place the root vegetables and onion in a non-stick roasting pan, or line the pan with some non-stick aluminum foil. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and salt to taste. Set the garlic cloves aside for now. Do not crowd the vegetables. Roast the vegetables for 45-50 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, scatter the garlic cloves in with the vegetables. Continue stirring every 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and nicely browned. Do not let the garlic burn for it will taste quite bitter if it burns. Before serving, add some more fresh rosemary, parsley and oregano, all roughly chopped and sprinkle with some balsamic vinegar.

Orange Balsamic Herb Vinaigrette on Mixed Greens

This citrus vinaigrette is so refreshing on a combination of fresh spinach, rocket, and tender buttercrunch lettuce. I like to add some very thinly sliced red onions, sections of fresh orange and pitted black Kalamata olives. Serve with some grilled Bass, or pan roasted Whitefish or Lake Trout. Delicous!

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
¼ cup orange tangerine balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped

Directions:

Combine the garlic, honey, mustard, salt, pepper, orange zest, orange juice and vinegar in a blender or small food processor. Blend thoroughly. With machine running, slowly add oil until smooth and homogenized. Next add the fresh thyme and blend for just 2 or 3 more pulses so the chopped herbs can still be seen in the vinaigrette. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Red Rice with Shallots and Onion

Red rice is an ancient
colored-bran short-grain rice grown high up in the Himalayas at 8,000 feet in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Irrigated with 1,000 year old glacier water and rich in trace minerals, this exotic rice has a nutty/earthy flavor, soft texture and beautiful red russet color. It cooks in only 20 minutes and it goes very well with fresh caught wild salmon, pork or chicken. Saute some shallots and onions and olive oil until they are transparent, add a generous handful of fresh oregano and the red rice. Stir until the rice grains are nicely coated with the herbs and the oil. Then add the chicken stock and let it simmer until the kernals of rice are tender. Finish with a handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of good olive oil
1 medium size red onion diced
2 shallots peeled and diced
2 tablespoons of fresh oregano finely minced
1 cup of Bhutanese red rice
2 1/2 cup of good homemade chicken stock
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley roughly chopped

Directions:

Saute the diced red onion and shallot in the olive oil until transparent. Add the fresh minced oregano and the red rice and stir until the rice is coated with the oil and the herbs. Add the 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock, and bring up to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until all of the chicken stock is absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot with roast pork, chicken or fish.