Curried Bisque

A bisque as rich in spice as in creaminess! Another easy-pleasing soup for a dark winter evening.

I made a half recipe, that is about ten cups of soup. Plenty for us.

Saute in two tablespoons of oil: two tart apples, one carrot, one onion, one sweet bell pepper, & two stalks of celery. For ten minutes.

Then add: around two cups of broth, one chopped potato, one half cup of raisins.

Spice it up with curry (I used garam masala) , cardamom, & thyme.

Simmer twelve to fifteen minutes. Then allow to cool before blending with food processor.

About ten minutes before ready to serve. Add one cup milk, two cups broth, and some tomato sauce. Reheat over medium heat until hot, but don't boil.

I garnished with cilantro.

It was one of those nights where even the liveliness of the soup couldn't break us from our winter-drowsiness. Before we knew it, we'd spent the evening on the couch with both of our cats vying for attention.

Favorite Song (from my favorite radio station): The Bothy Band- Rip the Calico

Sausage & Apples

Here's an excellent way to prepare breakfast sausage links, any time of the day!

Take four to six sausage links and brown them in the pan, then set aside.

Mix together in a small bowl one half cup apple juice, one quarter cup jelly (they recommend apple jelly or hot pepper jelly), & two tablespoons Dijon mustard.

Cut one medium onion into vertical slices. Place on medium heat, adding oil if necessary, until slightly brown.

Then core & slice three firm apples into thick wedges. Add to the onions & cook until brown. Then add the jelly mix.

Sprinkle one teaspoon basil on the top, & a pinch of pepper. Then add the sausages back to the pan. Cook on medium heat for ten minutes, or until sausages are completely cooked.

Really, you can't go wrong with sausage & apples. And I thought this sauce was especially savory.

Favorite Song (from my favorite radio station): Park Bench Social Club- Cuckoo

Nut & Mushroom Loaf

Okay. This dish took a few hours between prep time & cook time. But it was definitely worth it. Reminiscent of stuffing, or was it turnovers...sure to please any nut or mushroom aficionados.

To begin with I sauteed one chopped medium onion and five stalks chopped celery for five minutes. Then I added one tablespoon of flour and stirred for two minutes. Then I poured in a little over a cup of white wine and stirred for another two minutes. (You could also use broth instead of wine.) Then I set this mixture aside.

Then in a large bowl I combined one and one half cups of ground almonds, two thirds of a cup of rolled oats, one grated apple, two eggs, some orange juice, & salt/pepper. (The recipe called for half of a lemon's juice, but all I had was orange juice.)

Then I combined the two mixes in the bowl.

Next I sauteed one pound of mushrooms finely chopped, one finely chopped onion, garlic, & a little over a cup of walnuts.

The recipe called for a ring mold, but I don't have one. So I used a round baking dish instead. Lined with parchment paper. I poured one half of the first mix into the dish, covered with the mushroom mix, & then topped off with the second half.

Baked at 375 for 55 minutes. Allowed ten minutes to cool before inverting on a serving dish.

(We had this with another dish, but I'll be posting about that dish tomorrow.)

There were plenty of leftovers. This dish is filling, though lighter than I expected.

We lazed the evening away looking forward to the weekend ahead.

Favorite Song (from my favorite radio station): Christy Moore- Tribute to Ewan Mccoll

Red Potatoes & Granny Apples

These pictures of the apples were taken a few days ago in the sunshine...

At the store I chose the most beautiful apples I could. I especially heart the granny apples. Sweetly speckled...

A good family friend gifted me this darling teapot candle!

After being spoiled on our weekend-journey with a romantic lunch at the Sushi House & a meal with good friends at the Lincoln Cafe, I still find this dish irresistible. I want to dive in...

I made a half batch, and I'm glad I did. This is easily 4-6 servings, which is plenty for us.

I julienned five small red potatoes & then sauteed them in two tablespoons of olive oil for three minutes (Salted & Peppered to taste). Then I added the two granny apples, thinly sliced. One quarter cup thinly sliced green onions. And one stalk of celery sliced diagonally. Then I covered it and left it on low heat for twenty minutes. Sprinkled cheddar on the top & allowed it to melt. Then served with vanilla-rose tea!

The green onions & cheddar are really a hit. The mix of apples & potatoes is a pleasant one. All in all a pleasant, & easy to prepare, side dish.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): the unthanks- lucky gilchrist

Apple Carrot Salad

If you try no other apple salad, I would recommend you try this one. Its balance of sweet/sour/minty is lively & refreshing. And it's so simple!

1. Mix one quarter cup of lemon juice with two tablespoons of orange juice. Dissolve one tablespoon of honey in the juice.

2. Shred two carrots. Shred two apples directly into the juice to keep them from going brown as quickly.

3. Mix in the carrots, one quarter cup raisins, and two tablespoons chopped fresh mint.

Serve immediately... yum!

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): Shooglenifty- Maxine's Polka

Stuffed Beets

Another simple beet salad! With these kind of recipes, we are actually becoming rather avid fans of beets.

Simply cook the beets. I baked mine, which took a long time. I feel like there has to be a better way of cooking whole beets. To bake them you wipe them off with a dry paper towel. Then you can bake them at 400 degrees for an hour. The skin will just slide off with your fingers after that.

To stuff the beets, you hollow them out with a spoon or knife. According to the recipe, you then stuff the beets with a mixture of one cup plain yogurt, one tablespoon honey, a few tablespoons of nuts, and two apples diced small.

This mixture was quite tasty, but there is more leftover than winds up in the beets. Also, now you have extra beet that you have scooped out.

You could save this for another recipe. Or, I mixed it in the remaining apple-mix, and served it as a side salad. In fact, while the stuffed beets were a treat, I feel like you would bring out the same flavors by just shredding the beets and adding them to the apple-mix.

These beets were so pretty, and I had a difficult time capturing that with the camera. The meal was sweet, but not too sweet. All in all, a good salad if you enjoy beets & apples as much as we do.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): Eliza Carthy- Mr. Magnifico

Apple Rice Stuffing

This Sunday I made an Apple Rice Stuffing. In the spirit of Simply in Season, it was easy to make. Be warned it did take a few hours of cook time. But as the snow was piled high outside & we were in merry company, the aroma of baking apples only added to the atmosphere. The finished product was well worth the wait.

To begin this recipe, simply cook up some brown rice in apple juice. Simmering for forty minutes.

Then saute some onion and celery. Add this to the rice along with two diced large apples. Add brown sugar and walnuts to taste. (The recipe calls for certain amounts, but I really think these two ingredients, within reason, should be left up to the cook. Only you know how sweet the apples are, how sweet you like your dish, and how much (if at all) you enjoy walnuts.) Also add savory & oregano.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for fifty minutes.

The recipe noted that the Apple Rice Stuffing pairs well with pork chops. In this case, I was planning a lunch so I opted for the thin sliced "breakfast" pork chops. Which, happily, also happened to be on a sale. I dry rubbed them with Italian seasonings, garlic powder, and red pepper. Seared them until they were brown. And then I simmered them in apple juice, covered, for around ten minutes.

They went quite well with the stuffing. This was the first time I tried thin-cut chops, and I think I will go back to regular chops in the future. But they are convenient because they cook up faster and make for a lighter meal.

The stuffing was lick-your-spoon, must-have-another-bite, fare. I think I would put a little less sugar in the next time, but that comes down to preference. This is a sweet & savory treat, good for any occasion or just to warm up your day.

Some of you perceptive readers who have been following along may have noticed that this post is a bit different. This is because I was a guest in my brother's kitchen when I made this dish. It takes a generous person to allow another into their kitchen! Which is not to say it is easy for the guest cook either.

His roommate was also kind enough to offer his camera for the project, when I realized I had forgotten my memory card.

Though I usually like to cook in the warm shell of my own kitchen, with folk tunes floating in from the adjacent room, I do feel that cooking is a great social activity as well. The group nature of a food-project makes the meal satisfying on a whole new level. Group pride, for a job done well, can be one of the most natural & pleasant feelings. This I believe.

So the song I will share today, was one that my husband had stuck in his head as we were playing one of our favorite games, while the stuffing was cooling and the pork chops were sizzling on the pan.

Bob Dylan- Everybody Must Get Stoned

Fruit for Dinner

In a recipe like this Peanut Apple Salad, much is dependent upon the apples. I think it would be a mistake to use too sweet an apple.

This particular recipe did not specify what sort of apple ought to be used. So we purchased the cheapest apples short of red delicious (an apple I am not fond of and thought would be overly sweet & soft).

The apple we ended up with is titled "Jazz" and it is crisp & sweet with that zing of tang that I think really makes a salad-apple.

(One thought I did have later. Redder apples would be better for this salad, because the apples provide much of the color in this meal.)

Another item the recipe left wide-open was what type of nut to use. Sure the title says "peanut" but this is already allowed for with a portion of peanut butter. We happen to be rather fond of walnuts, so we opted for those.

I admit, I didn't put the full portion of sugar in our salad. Somehow it seemed wrong with the sweetness of the apples already coming through. I would say sugar to taste & dependent upon the apples.

I also added a bit more coconut, since the coconut project had produced plenty of shredded goodness. I'm sure this made the coconut more of a feature, but that's all for the better if you are as big of a coconut fan as we tend to be.

The results were reminiscent of Waldorf salad, but stood well apart. Specifically this salad was more subtly creamy, and had less dressing in general. The mayonnaise flavor was kept well in the background by the peanut butter & fresh ingredients.

It was definitely lick your spoon worthy. I made half a batch & we ate it all. The recipe said it served eight and I'd say this is about accurate.

I served this salad with pita chips. I snipped up small pitas, with a pair of kitchen scissors, and brushed them with olive oil. Then I sprinkled them with a mix of cinnamon & cardamom. Just enough to add those flavors, but not enough to draw attention on the first bite. Then I toasted them for ten minutes in the oven. The pita chips were slightly crisp bits of warm grain to complement the crisp & creamy sweetness of the salad.

All in all, it was an addictive treat bringing a refreshing sort of sweetness to a calm evening.

Favorite Song (on my favorite radio station during prep time): Karine Polwart- I'm Gonna Do It All