Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 14oz cans artichoke hearts drained and chopped
1 10oz package frozen spinach thawed and excess water squeezed out well
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup pecorino / Romano grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Mix together all the above ingredients
Place in a baking dish and cover
Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Serve with corn chips, French bread or any cracker you fancy. Tastes good with anything!

Ladybug Cake

Meet Avery, our ladybug cake, made by Daniela, Nadia, Camilla and Emily . . . . named after Avery who came to eat it on her first birthday. It actually tasted so good we agreed it was by far the best cake we've made so far. All gone by breakfast the next day!

Cucumber/Tomato/Purslane and Red Onion Salad

It’s early August and the purslane is growing wild all over the garden. Purslane has six times more vitamin E than spinach and fourteen times more omega-3 fatty acids and seven times more beta-carotene than carrots. This salad with a base of sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, becomes delicious topped with purslane and red onions. Add some chopped parsley, mint, chives and some leaves of basil and it’s a perfect summer salad.

Ingredients

6 cucumbers peeled and chopped
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 cup purslane, tender stalks and leaves
1 red onion sliced
Salt
Pepper
Citric Acid
Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
(Optional)
Chopped chives/mint leaves/parsley/basil leaf


Directions

Place the cucumbers, tomatoes, purslane, onion, and the chives, parsley, mint, basil leaf in a large bowl. If you don’t have chives, or parsley, mint or basil, it doesn’t matter, but it makes the salad taste better!
Just before serving, sprinkle salad with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon citric acid, and pour over 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup red wine vinegar.
Mix all together.
Serve

Vegetable Stuffed Grape Leaves

I never particularly liked the grape leaves

done this way, they had a tendency to be
dry and tasteless, however, Chef Kamal Al-Faqih,
in his book Classic Lebanese Cuisine,
unlocked the secret of a moist filling and
a really delicious taste. Making the stuffing
the day before and refrigerating overnight,
allowed the rice to swell which was often
the cause of the dryness. You can add more
lemon juice if needed. Also, cooking the
grape leaves in a liquid that has a tablespoon
of olive oil, made all the difference. I often add
more lemon juice.

Ingredients

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup parboiled rice
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup and 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice divided
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dilll
2 cups finely chopped parsley, use green leafy parts and tender stems
1 1/2 cups (peeled) finely chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped scallion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint or 2 teaspoons dry mint flakes
3 cups boiling water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the pine nutes over a foil-lined baking sheet and toast in the center of the oven shaking the pan occasionally for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before adding them to the filling.

Combine 1 cup parboiled rice, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. Mix well.
Add 1/2 cup currants, 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill,2 cups finely chopped parsley, 1 1/2 cups finely chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped scallion, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (or 2 teaspoons dry mint flakes).
Mix well
Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Use fresh grape leaves, or frozen (just place in water and they are ready to roll) use scissors to cut off the stem. Soak in water, then drain in a colander.

To roll a grape leaf, place it flat on a board dull side facing you (the side with the raised veins) Place a teaspoon of filling near the stem end, shaped into a small sausage shape. Then fold the bottom of the leaf up and over the filling, then fold both sides right and left over the filling. Roll the leaf firmly and evenly up toward the tip of the leaf and set in a pan with the seam facing down so it wont unravel during cooking.

Once you have used all the stuffing, in the same bowl add 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil and enough boiling water to measure 3 cups. Pour over the stuffed grape leaves and top with a knob of butter.
Place a plate upside down over the top and simmer covered for 40 minutes.
Serve with yoghurt.
These can be frozen uncooked for up to two months. Freeze on a plastic lined tray uncovered, then store them in an airtight container. Thaw and cook as directed.

Lobster Bisque #2

This is how I made the lobster bisque when we were at the Cape. It’s different from my other recipe as I was missing some of the ingredients and I added red peppers. It has no lobster meat thrown in at the end as we had eaten it all, but still delicious.
Perhaps this is why Camille liked it this time!

Ingredients

Shells from at least 3 lobsters meat removed (presumably you have eaten the meat)
6 cups chicken broth
1 tomato chopped
2 onions chopped
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic
3 carrots chopped
2 red peppers chopped
10 sprigs parsley roughly chopped with tender stalks
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
3/4 cup uncooked rice
2 potatoes chopped
1/4 cup light cream, half and half or cream


Directions

In a large pot, put all of the above ingredients, except the cream
Simmer for 2 hours
Strain the broth through a colander over a large bowl
Remove all the lobster shells
Add the vegetables to the broth
Blend in a blender or cuisinart till smooth
Pour the mixture into a large pot, add 1/4 cup light cream, stir and bring it all to a low simmer. Do not boil.
Adjust seasonings if needed.

Can be frozen.

Chicken Barbecue

Ingredients

Chicken breasts, thighs, legs (from 1 whole chicken)
Olive oil (1 cup)
Soy Sauce (1/2 cup)
Lemon Juice (1/2 Cup)
Fennel Seeds (1 Tablespoon)
Dried Rosemary (1 tablespoon)
Dried Parsley (1 tablespoon)
3 cloves garlic chopped
KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce

Directions

Place the chicken parts in a large bowl. Mix together the oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, fennel seeds, rosemary, parsley and 3 garlic cloves chopped in a separate bowl. Add to the chicken and mix. Let the chicken sit in the marinade covered for at least 6 hours up to 24 hours in the fridge.
We use a charcoal grill. Heat the grill, remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a pyrex dish. Brush the chicken with the barbecue sauce.
Grill the chicken towards the outside of the heat, not too high heat. Keep the cover on to ensure the chicken stays moist. You may brush with the marinade once or twice.
Grill for 15 - 20 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Chicken should register at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Serve with garlic paste!

Spinach with Chick Peas and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

3 big bags of fresh baby spinach or

   4 8oz bags of frozen leaf spinach drained.
3 - 4 onions big Vidalia onions sliced
olive oil
2 lemons squeezed
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 can chick peas drained


Directions

Wash spinach in a large bowl of water, I do this several times, put in a colander to drain. If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out any excess water.
In a large saucepan, pour 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 cloves garlic chopped. Over medium heat, saute until the garlic just starts to brown, add the drained spinach to the saucepan, mix with a wooden spoon and continue to simmer covered until the spinach is tender and cooked through.
Drain in a colander, remove the garlic cloves.
Slice 3 or 4 onions, in a frying pan, pour 2 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt, once the oil is hot, add the onions and stir from time to time. Continue frying until the onions are reddish brown and caramelized. Tip the pan to one side and remove the onions so that as little oil as possible comes out of the pan. Place the onions on a paper towel and set aside.
Place the cooked spinach in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest and the juice of two lemons.
Mix all together.
Spread out on a platter, surround the spinach with chick peas (drained)
Spread the onions over the top and serve at room temperature.

You can make this two days ahead keeping the onions separate until needed.

Ron's Iceberg Salad 'Wedgie' with Blue Cheese, Bacon and Walnuts.

Found this recipe in Bon Appetit, really nice and refreshing. Although we nicknamed it Ron's Wedgie Salad it is actually from the DB Brasserie at the Venetian. I cut the iceberg circles in half as they seemed rather large. You can make most of it  the day before and then assemble before the meal.  Ron, by the way, highly approved of it and Chris, his wife, suggested serving it on toasted Italian bread the next time. That would make it a meal in itself.

Ingredients

1 iceberg lettuce
1 cup walnuts
4 slices bacon
8 oz blue cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
5 tsp. sherry vinegar
2 tsp. lemon juice
salt, pepper
2 celery stalks
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once until golden brown, 8 - 10 minutes. Let cool, coarsely chop.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat, turning halfway through until brown and crisp.
8-10 minutes total.
Transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool coarsely chop.
Cook 4 slices  bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat, turning halfway through, until brown and crisp. 8-10 minutes total.Transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool , crumble.
Chop 2 stalks of celery, quarter 8 cherry tomatoes . Put to one side.
Place half of crumbled blue cheese in a bowl and microwave on medium until melted, about 1 minute (this will make it easier to whisk).
Add 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 5 teaspoons sherry vinegar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice to melted blue cheese. Whisk until smooth, season with salt and pepper.
All of the above can be prepared the day before and stored in the fridge covered.
To assemble:
Place 1 slice of iceberg lettuce sliced crosswise about 1 inch thick, spoon about 1/4 cup dressing on each slice of lettuce. Top with walnuts, bacon, celery, tomatoes and remaining blue cheese.
I sliced the iceberg lettuce circles in half, and decorated with spinach leaves and cherry tomatoes.

Short Rib Beef Stew in Ale with Winter Vegetables

This recipe was mostly inspired by one I found in Simply Recipes. I love the taste of short ribs and have been longing for the comforting taste of a good hearty stew.

Ingredients

2 lbs. beef short ribs
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 strips bacon
1 onion
3 leeks
2 cloves garlic
1 bottle brown ale
1 can whole peeled plum tomatoes
2 red potatoes
2 parsnips
3 turnips
2 stalks celery
5 carrots
fennel bulb
1 can beef broth
1 package frozen peas
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Directions

Prepare the leeks by stripping off the outer skin, discard the green leaf part, slit the white leek down the center and slice horizontally, place the chopped leeks in water to soak.
Prepare the onion by removing the skin and chopping roughly.
Place 4 bacon strips in the bottom of a thick bottomed Dutch oven. Cook the bacon over medium high until the fat has been rendered. Remove and place on a paper towel.
While the bacon is cooking, trim excess fat off the beef short ribs and cut into 2 inch cubes. If you can only get short ribs on the bone, just trim excess fat.
Put 1/2 cup flour on a plate and mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the meat with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss the meat in the flour.
If there is not enough fat in the bottom of the pan, add a little oil and saute the meat until browned  on all sides. For a good browning do not stir the short ribs unless to turn.
Place the browned meat aside.
While the meat is cooking, remove the leeks and drain in a colander.
In the same pan the meat was cooked in, add the chopped leeks and onions. Saute until just starting to become translucent.
Chop two garlic cloves and add to the onions and leeks. Stir for two minutes.
Add a can of chopped peeled plum tomatoes and the juice to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Add the meat, chopped bacon and 1 bottle brown ale.
Simmer the meat mixture for two hours until the meat is tender.
At this point you can let the whole pot cool overnight in the fridge.
The next day, you can skim off any fat from the top. Skimming the fat is really important as the short ribs produce quite a bit.
Peel and chop 2 red potatoes, 2 parsnips, 3 turnips, 2 stalks celery, 5 carrots and 1 fennel bulb. Add to the pot. Add 1 can beef broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer covered until the vegetables are tender.
Just as I was tasting the stew, I decided to add a teaspoon each of coriander and cumin and 1/4 cayenne pepper. I then popped in a package of frozen peas.

French Madeleines

There is a stand at the Farmers Market which sells homemade soaps. The owners are from France and they also make the most exquisite madeleines. They are light and airy, with a touch of lemon, not too sugary. A huge favorite with our granddaughters! They are made on Fridays and if you don't get to the Market before 7 in the morning, they are often all gone. Much sadness if David returns empty handed. So I decided to try and make our own. Daniela and Nadia were helping on the first batch, they were a bit burnt and Daniela thought they were too hard. I think the oven was too high at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, so I went to another recipe which came out pretty close. . . this one by Dana Velden who has just published her first book, Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook sounds fiddly but you can melt the butter first and let it cool while doing something else, then prepare the batter and let it rest for at least an hour. The pans can be in the freezer. You need a madeleine pan, Dana calls for two pans but I only have one and it worked fine.

Ingredients
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon flour
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Powdered sugar

Directions
Melt 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a pan. Pour into a bowl and reserve 3 tablespoons butter in a smaller bowl. Let the butter cool
To prepare the madeleine pans, mix 1 tablespoon flour with the 3 tablespoons reserved butter and stir until the mixture is well combined. Using a pastry brush, brush the interiors of the shells with the butter-flour mixture so that they are well coated.
Place the pans in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
Prepare the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. In one bowl whisk together 1 cup flour and 2/3 cup sugar and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk 2 eggs with 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon lemon zest until the eggs are frothy.
Add the egg mixture to the flour, using a spatula until just combined, add the cooled melted butter slowly and continue to stir. It may take a minute for the butter to blend into the mixture but do not over mix.
Rest the batter in a covered bowl for at least 1 hour and up to overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the batter from the fridge and the madeleine pan from the freezer. Fill each well in the madeleine pan with 1 tablespoon batter.
Bake for approximately 13 minutes. The medeleines should be browning around edges and puffed up a little in the middle, Using your forefinger, press lightly on the center hump - when the madeleines are finished baking, it should spring back at your touch.
Remove the madeleines from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes.Tip the whole pan out onto a cooling wrack. Once cool, dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve.
If you are freezing or storing the madeleine, do not dust with the sugar until you are about to serve
store cooled madeleines in an airtight container for a few days or freeze them in a double wrapping of plastic wrap for several months. Let the cakes defrost before dusting with sugar.

Savory Dutch Baby

Portia found this recipe by Melissa Clark. I LOVED it, it’s sort of a mix between Yorkshire Pudding and an omelette, great for a brunch type of meal when you are not sure if it’s lunch or breakfast. Done in a cast iron skillet with high rim, it looks beautiful, cut into pizza size wedges, Portia served it with a dish of asparagus and fried eggs on top and a lovely light salad with apples. Just delicious.

Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
2 tablespoons minced chives or parsley
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
Flakey sea salt for garnish

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons  flour, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Whisk 8 eggs and 3/4 cup whole milk in a separate bowl’
Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined.
Stir in 2 tablespoons thyme and 2 tablespoons minced chives.

Melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter in a heavy 12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Let it cook until it smells nutty and browns, about 5-7 minutes, then swirl skillet so that the butter coats bottom of pan.

Pour batter into pan and scatter 3/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and the flakey salt over the top. Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Melissa serves this with Sriracha and lemon wedges, but I liked it without anything.

Karen's Rice (Riz ma Shireeyee)

Much loved by my grandchildren, they always request she make it, always disappointed if it isn’t on the table! Karen basically uses a cup of rice to two cups of chicken broth, brings it to the boil and then simmers covered, not taking the lid off. Perhaps it's the stick of butter and masses of cinnamon that makes it taste so delicious!

Ingredients

1 cup of rice (not instant)
2 cups chicken broth
1 stick butter
Angel Hair pasta, broken into 1/4 inch lengths (approximately)
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

Crush angel hair pasta into lengths approximately 1/4 in length, give or take until you have 1 cup
Melt one stick of butter in a saucepan, drop in the pasta and stir constantly until dark brown in color.Stir in 2 tablespoon cinnamon and add 1 cup rice and 2 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt.
Bring to boil, turn down heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and leave covered for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid fluff rice with a fork.

Prime Rib Soup

One way to use the ribs after you have roasted the prime rib is to make this really delicious prime rib soup. It doesn’t take hours to make because the meat is already cooked and has all the delicious flavors

Ingredients

Use the ribs from a fully cooked prime rib roast, cut into separate pieces
4 carrots
4 celery stalks
1 sprig rosemary
4 sprigs thyme
6 sprigs parsley chopped
1 onion chopped
1 cup of red wine
5 cups water
1 cup pearled barley
salt
pepper
1 package frozen lima beans
1/2 package frozen peas
1 can beef broth

Directions

Place the beef ribs in a large pot. Top and tail the carrots (do not peel) and slice in half. Slice celery stalks in half. Chop one onion. Add red wine, water, barley, the rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil covered, then simmer for approximately one hour until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the ribs and shred the meat off the bone, replacing in the pot. Discard the bones. Slice the carrots and celery. I did this afterwards in case they were overcooked and too mushy.
Add beef broth, lima bean and peas and continue to simmer until they are tender, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Chill in the fridge overnight, and the next day remove the fat from the top, it comes off really easily once chilled.
Reheat and serve with nice fresh crusty bread.