JANUARY BLUES!!

January seems to be my sick month.  I have been fighting a virus all month.  But I think I am on the mend so I will be back updating my posts on a more regular basis.  I have made a great salad that I want to share!  I got the inspiration from the restaurant across the street from where I work.  I changed the dressing because the one on the original salad was too tart for my taste.  I changed it from a Raspberry Vinaigrette to a Champagne Vinaigrette. 

For the dressing you can use Champagne Vinegar or Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar available from Trader Joe’s.  When I make the dressing I use more honey than the recipe calls for because I like it to be mellower and less tart.  I also left out the clove of garlic and the 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.  I felt the lemon juice just added to the tartness and didn’t do anything for the dressing.  Feel free to make the dressing to your taste.  This may seem like a lot of steps, but you can do the pears the day before you want to eat the salad or in the morning.  The dressing will keep on the counter or you can put in the refrigerator (just take out an hour before you want to use it).  Well, here is my take on this great salad.

Poached Pears and Fried Goat Cheese Salad

POACHED PEARS

4 pears, peeled and sliced

1 cup apple juice (100% juice)

1 ½ cups water

1 tsp anise seeds

5 cardamom pods

3 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks or 1 long one

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract (the real thing!)

2-5 tablespoons honey

Pour liquids into pan and add the spices vanilla.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and add the sliced pears.  Continue to simmer until the pears are just tender.  Remove the pears from the liquid and place on a plate.  At this point you can drain the liquid and return to the pan and simmer until liquid is reduced and thickened.  I used a couple of tablespoons of this liquid in the dressing recipe to tie all the flavors together.

 CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

1 shallot finely chopped

4 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard

½ cup Champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons of honey (or to taste)

Pinch of salt

Pepper to taste

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until emulsified.  Taste and adjust seasoning to taste.  This is a really simple dressing and is great on your favorite salad!

FRIED GOAT CHEESE

1 egg

½ cup Panko bread crumbs

1 log goat cheese

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Scramble egg in a bowl.  Place bread crumbs in a dish.  Slice the goat cheese into thick slices.  Put olive oil in a pan and heat up.  Dip the goat cheese slices into the egg then bread crumbs, and place in hot pan.  When underside is brown and crisp, flip cheese over and brown the other side.  This process should take no more than 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Remove cheese slices from pan and set aside.

ASSEMBLE THE SALAD

1 cut cherry tomatoes cut into halves

1 bag mixed greens

Poached pears

Fried goat cheese

Place cherry tomatoes in a bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of dressing and let marinate while preparing dressing and cheese.  Place mixed greens on salad plate; place pears on plate, marinated tomatoes, then fried goat cheese.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of dressing over salad and enjoy!

Guilty Pleasures!!

Life if full of guilty pleasures!!  I have a few I use to enjoy before my bypass surgery-sitting on the sofa and eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (usually something chocolate!! Which is a food group, right?), or eating chocolate icing out of a can (of course after you put the leftover icing in the refrigerator and eat some the next day it is like eating fudge...mmmmmm).  Of course now I can't eat anything that sweet...but I have my memories!!! LOL

Now one of my guilty pleasures is Cheese Toast...I know, not very original, but soooo good...hot melty cheese on bread...wow!!! so good.  For those of you who have never had it, here is how I make mine, although I can't imagine no one ever eating this wonderful thing!!

Cheese Toast

Bread or chibatta roll
Butter
Shredded Mild or Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Set over to broil.  If using a roll, slice in half.  Spread light coat of butter on the bread and put cheese all over.  Put on oven safe  cookie sheet and place under the broiler.  Keep in the oven until cheese is melted and brown.  This is so good as a snack!!!  Makes my mouth water.

So indulge yourself!  Enjoy that Guilt Pleasure!! Maybe not too often..but once in awhile, you deserve it!!

Soup To Warm the Heart

There is a slight chill to the air and that turns my thoughts to soup!  There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a cold day to warm you up.  Lucky for me Celtic Man likes soup and thinks of it as a meal.  Some men do not believe soup is a meal - are they ever missing out!! I look forward to the cool days of fall and winter when I can make soup, stews and chilli for dinner.  Of course, the leftovers are even better!!  These are dishes that just get better the next day and the next.... 

One of my favorite soups is bean soup.  I remember the wonderful bean soup my mother use to make.  She would soak the beans and add the bacon, potatoes and carrots and cook it tell the house smelled so warm and inviting.    In my youth I use to add ketchup to my bowl of soup when I went to eat it.  That was because that was what my daddy did, and all little girls did what daddy did!!! LOL 

Now I can soak the beans and make my soup from scratch, but when I am in a hurry I have found a quick way to get the same flavor in about 30 to 45 minutes of cooking.  So here is my take on wonderful Navy Bean Soup.  I hope you enjoy it.

Navy Bean Soup

3-4 cans of Navy Beans, drained and rinsed
1 bag of small potatoes
1 bag of small baby carrots
1-2 cans of vegetable broth
1 pack of Swanson vegetable flavor booster
1 lb. Bacon
1 onion, diced
approx 2 cups of water
1 container (14.5 oz) Mirepoix (Trader Joe's-mix of celery, carrots and onions)
salt, pepper
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme

If using the Mirepoix empty the container in a large pot.  Dice the bacon and add to the pot.  Add broth, flavor booster pack and about 2 cups of water, or enough to fill pot close to half full.  Wash the potatoes and cut small potatoes in quarters, and larger ones so they are about the same size.  Add the potatoes, carrots and onion to pot along with bay leaf, thyme, a good pinch of salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and cook until vegetables are just done.  About 10-15 minutes.

After the vegetables are done add the drained and rinced beans and cook until everything is hot.  Remove the bay leaf before serving.  Taste broth and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Eat and enjoy!

NOTE:  Celtic Man loves meat in his soup, so I usually use about a 1.5 lbs. of bacon to make him happy.  The next day I skim the fat off of the soup before I reheat it. 

Getting Started

Well, this is my first attempt at doing a blog!!!  I love to cook, try different recipes and read cook books.  Hubby doesn't understand the reading thing, but I guess that is a girl thing!!! 

I hope to be able to share my love of food with you and you will get some ideas for your own kitchen.  I haven't had a chance to post any recipes yet as I have had a terrible cold this past week.  Today is first day I think I might live!  So stand by and keep watching this blog, I should have some great soup recipes posted this week.  Love when the weather starts getting cold!! Is great for making and eating great soup!!  I am lucky my man, Celtic Man, loves soup or just about anything I make!!