Roasted Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
Wheeee! Something new! I tried something like this at lunch the other day and thought I would make my own version.
1 large butternut squash
2 large sweet potatoes
1 sweet onion
3 Tbsp butter
4 c chicken broth
½ c cream
1 Tbsp corn starch
ground nutmeg
ground cloves
Cut the squash lengthwise, remove seeds, and rub with olive oil. Place cut side up on cookie sheet and bake at 400° for one hour.
Slice onions thinly and sauté with butter in skillet. Add water as needed to prevent burning and continue to sauté until they caramelize.
Wash sweet potatoes and cook on high in microwave for 10 minutes or until soft.
Heat the broth over medium high heat. Scoop the pulp from the squash and sweet potatoes and add to the broth. Add the onions and bring to a low boil. Stirring constantly add cream. Scoop out 1c of liquid and mix the corn starch into it. Stir the mixture back into the soup. Reduce heat to low and continue to stir until most of the large chunks of squash and potato have disappeared and the soup has thickened. Remove from heat.
Use a blender to puree the soup until smooth. Add nutmeg and ground cloves to taste. Serve hot. This thick soup would be very good with hot crusty bread.
Happy squashing.
Salsa Chicken Pasta Marinara Stuff
OK, so I am better at cooking things than at naming them. This one is a bit more complicated. Anyhow, it’s Ziploc time again. This time put boneless/skinless chicken breasts into the bag with about half a jar of salsa (mild or hot at your discretion). Put in fridge to marinate.
3 red/yellow/orange sweet bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped.
2 cups of sliced mushrooms (I like “baby bellas”)
1 jar of marinara sauce
1 pkg angel hair pasta
Cream sherry (e.g. Harvey’s Bristol Cream)
Hard cheese (parmesan, asiago, etc.)
Put the mushrooms in a quart sized Ziploc with ½ c sherry. Shake and set aside.
In large skillet over medium-high heat sauté the peppers in olive oil until tender. Add mushroom mixture and continue to sauté until mushrooms are tender. Set vegetables aside in a large bowl.
Put chicken into skillet with the salsa. Turn every minute or so that the chicken cooks through without burning the outside. Add water as the salsa begins to dry out. When the chicken is done (juices run clear in center when cut) the salsa should be a dark reddish brown paste. Reduce heat to low. Slice chicken into ¼ in thick medallions and return to skillet. Return the vegetable mixture and add sauce. Cover.
Cook the pasta in water seasoned with salt and another ½ c of sherry.
Serve chicken and sauce on bed of pasta and sprinkle with grated hard cheese.
Marinade-O’-Rama
I am a huge fan of Ziploc baggies. The gallon sized, freezer kind. Specifically those I have filled with some kind of meat and a really good marinade. It is a good way to get fantastic flavor without a lot of complicated cooking. Here are a couple of my favorites.
For London Broil:
1c Soy Sauce
1c Molasses (I like to use Blackstrap)
1c Olive Oil
1 tsp minced garlic
Marinate in fridge for 12-48 hours. Cook on grill till rare in center.
For Pork Tenderloin:
1c Molasses
1c Soy Sauce
Dash of lemon juice
I marinated this for 4 days and then roasted it until medium in the center. Fantastic!
For Chicken Breast:
I have found nothing better than half a bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing. So sue me.
Marinate boneless/skinless breasts for 2 hours in fridge. Place skin side down on broiling pan and pour remaining marinade over the meat. Broil on bottom rack until juices run clear when meat is cut.
Northern Neck Crab Masacre
This is my favorite way to cook Blue Crabs. Cook a whole lot (I’d go for a bushel of fresh #1 greens), invite friends. Prepare to be very messy and even happier.
In the bottom of a steamer mix:
3 cups water
2 cans of cheap bear (save the good stuff for drinking if you like)
¼ cup of Old Bay seasoning
¼ cup of coarse salt
Put the top of the steamer and the lid on and bring to a boil. Put a layer of crabs in the steamer, cover with more salt and Old Bay. Repeat layering until the steamer is full. Replace the lid.
Steam them about 20 minutes. The shells should be an opaque looking red and the claws should move easily. Use tongs to remove them to a pan and refill the steamer. Dump the cooked crabs on the table and dig in. Serve with bowls of malt vinegar, Old Bay, and melted butter for dipping.
Tips:
Have a couple of pairs of pliers for cracking shells.
Have a good sturdy knife for each diner. I like a butter knife.
Cover the table with brown paper or lots of newspaper.
Don’t bother with plates.
When done fold the whole mess up and throw it away.
Invite someone who has shucked crab before.
Expect to eat for a long time.
Enjoy the company.
And be careful of the claws when putting them in.
Happy shucking!
A new blog!
Well, as if I didn’t have enough trouble keeping this one updated, I started a new one because
I am a gourmet cook who constantly needs to diet. I love to cook. I love to eat. I gain weight smelling Twinkies.
I also am very creative and have a lousy memory for my creations. So I decided to put them in a blog and let the blogosphere remember them for me – and maybe someone else will enjoy them as well.
Good eats.
Grilled Lemon Garlic Salmon
This is a simple and easy way to prepare mouthwatering salmon. Don't skimp on the seasonings.
Filet of Salmon, sized to suit. Remove skin, bones, and dark meat.
Lemon juice
Garlic salt
Lemon-Pepper
Butter, cold
Make a pan of Aluminium foil to fit the filet. Divide the filet if large and use multiple pieces of foil.
Pour enough juice to cover the botom of the pan. Place the filet in the juice. Sprinkle liberally with the seasonings. Slice thin pats of butter and place them .5 inches apart in a line along the thickest part of the fish.
Place pan on grill over medium heat. Cook till meat flakes with a fork.
