The main colour in this is green…so don’t think something is missing.
- 2 lbs unshelled fava beans (24-25 pods)
- 1 lemon
- 6 inner stalks celery, plus hearts, peeled and cut into 4 inch sticks
- 2 sprigs parsley, coarsely chopped
- 8 oz. pecorino cheese, sliced
- heads belgian endive, separated
- 1/2 cup green olives
Split bean pods lengthwise and with your fingers, remove the beans. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil and add the beans. Cook for 10 seconds and immediately plunge into ice water. Gently pop the bean from the skin. Set beans aside.
Cut lemon in half and squeeze over the celery. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Arrange beans, celery, cheese, endive leaves and olives on a serving platter and garnish with more parsley sprigs. Add a couple of lemon wedges on the side of the platter.
If everything is cold when you served it, it won’t last. Truly delicious.
Summer Berry Smoothie
I love smoothies, but I have never served a ‘diet’ smoothie. Nope, not this one either.
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/2 container raspberry yogurt
- 1-2 tbsp. honey
- 1-2 tbsp. orange juice
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Place all but the whipping cream in a blender and puree. Add the whipping cream and blend for a few seconds (don’t want butter, just thicker)
Pour into two glasses, add a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh raspberry and blackberry.
It doesn’t get any yummier than this.
Cooked Fresh Fruit Dessert
This is summertime and the peaches are abundant and the apples will be shortly. Try it both ways and you will enjoy both of them.
- 6 apples or peaches
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar (approximately)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
Peel, and slice into wEdges. Place sugar and water in a saucepan, heating to boiling .
Add fruit amd cook slowly until tender. Add the vanilla. Taste and add a touch more sugar if you require it.
Allow to cool and when ready to serve, use your prettiest dishes and add whipped cream, lighly flavoured with (peaches – almond), (apples-cinnamon).
Wanting to look like you are a slave to the stove? Just dust a little flour on your nose and sigh….loudly.
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Deelightful Bing Cherry Dessert
That is not a spelling error. This recipe is truly deelightful.
- 1 package Black Cherry gelatin
- 1 cup Bing Cherries, pitted
- 1 quart Chapman’s or Tillamook vanilla ice cream (slightly softened)
- 1 1/4 cups wafer crumbs
- 6 tbsp melted butter
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 tbsp. cherry juice
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 12 whole cherries, pitted
Prepare gelatin as directed. Stir in 1 cup cherries. Pour into 9 inch cake pan and chill until firm.
Mold, carefully, the ice cream in a 9 inch cake pan and chill, again , until firm. You now have 2 pans, okay?
Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Divide into 3 equal parts.
Just prior to serving, assemble this as follows:
1. Spread 1/3 cup crumb mixture on serving platter
2.Invert gelatin, place on crumb mixture. Spread second portion of crumbs on gelatin.
3. unmold ice cream and place on top of gelatin. Spread remaining crumbs on top.
4. Combine sugar and cherry juice. Pour over layer of crumbs
5. Frost sides with whipped cream, score top of cake to show portions. Decorate each piece with a whipped cream rosette and bing cherry.
Yield: 12 portions.
Sausage Bake
We always are looking for something new to serve guests and always fall for the same old thing. If you are looking for something new to try, here it is. This recipe is 20 plus years old, given to me by a neighbor when we first moved to B.C.
- 2 lbs. cooked and drained pork sausage meat (Italian, if you choose)
- 12 well beaten eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup cream
- 4 or more slices of cubed bread
- 2 cups shredded cheese ( your choice) Monteray Jack is really good, if fresh
- 3/4 tsp. dry mustard
Combine the meat, eggs, milk/cream, bread, cheese and mustard. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and pour into a buttered 9 x 13 inch baking dish. If you wish, add more cheese on top.
Cover and refrigerate overnight and in the morning, remove from the regrigerator and let sit for about 30 minutes before baking in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until set. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving.
Cut and serve with slices of fresh fruit, juice and coffee. Voila! You did it again. Damn!
Cheese Pate
This is a really nice pate. So fresh and no chemicals or preservatives.
- 9 0z. Philadelphia cream cheese
- 8 oz. c heddar cheese (finely grated)
- 5 oz. Brie cheese, without covering
- 1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce
- few drops of tabasco
- 1 generous tbsp. brandy or a good port
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. softened butter
- chopped pistachios nuts
In your food processor, spoon all the ingredients, except nuts, and beat until nice and smooth. This will be soft, but you roll it out (wet your hands first) into a log shape and place in parchment paper. Chill in the fridge overnight.
Before serving, roll into the crushed nuts. Slice and serve with crackers or toast wedges.
Drumstick Canapes
This is a recipe that Don uses….sharesies to you…
- 3 lbs. or about 15 small chicken wings
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp. cornstarch
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup soya sauce
Cut wings in half at the joint. Discard tips.
Place on a broiler rack and bake for about 15 mins in a 400 degree oven. Turn them over and bake another 15 minutes.
Mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger and pepper together. Add the liquids. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick. Boil for 2 minutes.
Brush the liquid over the wings, continue baking for 35 minutes, brushing the drumsticks about every 5 minutes.
Serve in a chafing dish.
French Canadian Pea Soup
This is a wonderful soup to have on a very cold winter’s day whether it was walking along a stormy beach, skating or skiing or just wanting a little comfort food.
Serves 8
- 1 lb. whole dried yellow peas
- 8 cups water
- 1/2 lb. salt pork (better yet, ham bone)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, ribs removed, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup carrot, grated fine
- 1 tsp dried savory
- 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped fine
- 1 tsp salt
Wash and sort peas, place in large pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for one hour.
Add the salt pork (ham bone) onion, red pepper, celery, carrots, savory and 1 tsp salt.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until peas are very tender (about two hours) adding more water, if required. Remove salt pork (ham bone) and chop the meat and return it to the soup.
Take one half of the soup and slowly puree in a blender and add back to the soup. Be sure to let it cool down a little or it will explode. Oh yes, it will…and your kitchen will look like a war zone. Just ask anyone that this has happened to and it wasn’t me!
This also freezes well so you can have leftovers for lunch a little later on.
Ketchup-Homemade
This is summer….lots of hot dogs and hamburgers on the bbq. If you run out of the commercial stuff, make this one up. It’s good.
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/8 cup vinegar
- 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. cloves
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp. onion powder
Mix together in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and put into a small container. This only makes 1/2 cup, so you may want to double, triple etc all the ingredients, after you try the first lot.
Blueberry Coffee Cake
This is such a favourite of mine. I have one in the oven now and will take a picture when done.
- 2/3 cups chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- pinch of salt
Mix this together in a small bowl and set aside
Batter – Part 1
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
Mix together in a small bowl and set aside
- Batter-Part 2
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
Beat these two together until really light and fluffy
Now add:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp.pure vanilla
Add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, and beat until very, very smooth.
- 2 cups blueberries (frozen are fine, just don ‘t thaw)
- flour to toss the berries in, and gently fold them into the batter.
In a tube pan, add one half of the batter in the prepared pan, take 1/2 of the nut mixture and sprinkle over the top of the batter. Add the remaining batter and top with the remaining nut mixture.
Bake for 50-60 minutes. You will love this one.