Broke the Ice by Janell Rose |
| Thank goodness - someone broke the ice and posted on RoseNose. I have been looking at for a couple weeks feeling very lonesome. When I look down the list of names I get embarrassed to see my name so thought I would stay off.
Hope EVERYONE is having a great start to a New Year. JR and I are grateful it has been a warmer week - last week we did not move our car for about 4 days - just stayed huddled in the house. Goodness, Dallas is not supposed to get down to -0- windchill and 12 degrees. BRRRR Leah, At least this time it was DRY - no snow/ice. I am going to post some recipes that came from an Organic Cook in our area - in this cold weather you may use and enjoy. Chicken and Winter Vegetable Soup 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 (1-lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped 4 parsnips, peeled and chopped 2 medium onions, peeled and diced 6 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 firm, ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat chopped 1/4 tsp. nutmeg Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute vegetables and pears for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. Add a litter water or stock if necessary to prevent sticking. Puree mixture in a food processor. Place soup back into skillet and stir in the chopped chicken. Stir in nutmeg and season to taste. Cook until warmed through. Makes 8 servings. The recipe above sounds really good - but I don't usually cook butternut squash and parsnips - the one below is more to my cooking style: Debbie Sam's Chicken Broccoli Chowder 4 cups chicken broth 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots peeled and sliced 1 large head broccoli, chopped 1/2 cup oat flour (see note) 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped 2 cups grated Full Guiver cheddar cheese (I am sure any cheddar cheese will work) In a large saucepan, bring the broth, onion and carrots to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Add broccoli. Mix the oat flour with enough water to make a paste. Add to broth and stir until thickened slightly. Add the chicken. Make sure the broccoli is done. Just before serving sprinkle on the cheese. Note: To make oat flour, grind oatmeal in a blender. Makes 3 to 4 servings. Blue Cheese Walnut Cookies (I believe I would call these crackers) 3 1/2 ounces good-quality, mild blue cheese 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper Combine the blue cheese and butter in the bowl of a food processor, pulse until thoroughly blended Add the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper - pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal. Add the walnuts and process until a moist dough is formed. Gather the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to overnight, until thoroughly chilled and firm. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use 2 inch cookie cutters to cut out shapes. The dough can be re-rolled. Transfer to the baking sheets, spacing the cookies 1 inch apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes until lightly golden on the edges. Transfer to a wire tack to cool completely before serving or storing. Makes about 30 cookies. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Dough can be refrigerated up to 1 day. For best flavor, do not freese the dough or baked cookies. Below is one I am going to make this weekend: Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 1/2 cup italian parsley, finely chopped 1 teaspoon salt (I always cut the salt - doctor's orders) 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 3/4 teaspoons chili powder 1 1/4 teaspoon cumin 3/4 cup salsa 2 eggs 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or a mix of lean ground beef and ground turkey 3/4 cup bread crumbs 1/4 pound sliced mozzarella cheese Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet, saute the onion, celery, garlic and parsley in the oil over moderate heat until softened but not browned. With a slotted spoon, tranfer the vegetables to a large bowl. Add all remaing ingredients except cheese to the vegetables. Mix well with your hands. Transfer half the mixture to a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Place mozzarella slices on top, then cover with the rest of the meat mixture. Bake for 75 - to 80 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170F. Serves 4 To freeze. Cool and chill. Wrap tightly in freezer foil. Place in a resealable plastic freezer bag. Label and freeze. Now when the snow gets deep - you can try these new recipes from the Organic Cook. JR and I have been busy - finally went to our mall booth last Monday and straightened up one big mess. It was my day to work at the mall on a Sunday the week before, so I knew it was going to be a job. We had not gone since early December. When I went in to work and entered our booth - someone had taken JR's Vintage Cast Iron Skillets (about a dozen) and scattered them all over the floor of our booth. Could not even walk in there. He had them in 3 neat stacks. Next day after the trip to the Mall - we went to Lowe's and purchased a Kitchen Range to be delivered next week (our Oven/Broiler has gone out and has to be replaced) then a new Sink/Faucets, etc. The contractor has made a couple trips - gave us estimates on the kitchen and the flooring. (The flooring is going to wait till at least April - Leah, JR will not let me have the contractor opening the door in the winter) The contractor brought all the laminate samples - about 50 samples - hard to make a decision. We did make a selection and let him know today so will not hold up the job. He said will take 10 - 12 days for counter top to be made. He plans to start in a couple weeks when he has finished his current job. Not looking forward to the mess - but will be glad when it is done. Late - Late - Late - better head for bed. Love to ALL, JR and Janell |