My Favorite version of Potatoe Salad

I love potatoe salad, it is one of the most basic salads you should have in your repertoire of recipes. This one uses a minimal amount of dressing, so it's healthier, and still tasty!

Mary's Famous Potato Salad                                                   Makes 6-8 servings

6-8 medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 stalks of celery, chopped medium fine
3-4 green onions, chopped medium fine-reserve green tops for garnish
12 yum yum pickles, chopped medium fine
2-3 hard boiled eggs, coarsly chopped, optional
1 tablespoon brown (Dutch) mustard
1/2 cup sweet pickle juice
1/3-1/2 cup real mayonaise
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Salt
Peel, quarter and wash potatoes, set into large enough pot cover with cold water, add 1 teaspoon salt, bring to boil, boil for 5 minutes, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender but not too soft. Meanwhile, wash celery and green onion,chop, add to large bowl with mustard, pickle juice, use the lesser amount of mayonaise, and 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper-mix well, it will be like a thin liquid, don't panic. Once potatoes are tender, drain well, put back in cooking pot and give them a quick mash, don't make it like mashed potatoes, just squash them a bit,you should have a lot of big pieces along with some mashed bits, that's okay, put in bowl with veggies and dressing, mix well, add salt to taste, toss in coarsly chopped hard boiled eggs, if using, mix lightly, so as to incorporate the eggs and salt, but not to break them up too much, you want to be able to see the egg. If potatoes are the very dry type, you will need to add the whole 1/2 cup of mayonaise, if they are still a little dry, add a bit more pickle juice. Serve with any barbecued meat, or with cold ham and sliced tomato and cucumber, easy and can make ahead. If it isn't finished in one meal, will last at least a week, refrigerated.

Wooden and Other Chopping Boards

Chopping boards are absolutely necessary when preparing food. I remember the very first chopping board I got was after I had been watching a food show by French chef Pol Martin....in 1976, I was home on maternity leave but my babies had not arrived yet(I was pregnant with twins) so I had lots of time on my hands. We lived in North Toronto then, and occasionally went downtown to Yorkville. Well, it so happens one weekend we were in Yorkville area, downtown Toronto, and I went into the kitchen store there, that is when I saw Chef Pol Martin had a line of kitchen equipment, as early as the '70's! Anyway, I got the chopping board that was at the very least 2 inches thick, had a well for cutting roasts and chicken, and regular chopping on the other side....I continued to use that board for at least 15 years, I still have it as a reminder of my early days of disaster cooking! Trial and error are the building blocks of a good/great cook, you need to make those errors to know what works and what doesn't!
I have seen the dark cutting boards, they are really beautiful, but I can't help thinking that you will have all of those knife slashes on them, if you get one, maybe it's best to serve from, like a platter, holding meats and cheese, or polenta and saucy meatballs.
Today, I would never dream of chopping any meat on my wooden chopping board, I use a thin plastic liner that I got at IKEA, the liner is great, heat resistant, so you can put hot pots on it, and dishwasher safe, which is very convenient and sanitary. I have used that liner when canning, it's ideal for setting hot jars on and filling them before processing, then again afterward when removing hot jars from the canner. So, to say it is handy is an understatement! It is bendable, too and has acted like a funnel to move meat, veggies or fruit into a pot or other serving vessel, truly a great tool!
I have another huge chopping board, similar to the Pol Martin board, and a medium sized bamboo board I use for chopping nuts, chocolate, biscotti, and other yummy things. For small jobs, I have a thin bamboo board that also goes into the dishwasher. When I need more room,say for a buffet or cutting pizza, I have a huge board that covers my sink, very handy that, gives me extra space when I have a buffet, also hides the last minute dishes that occur when giving a party!

They say it is beneficial to use sustainable woods when considering a chopping board, but I believe you have to assess your cooking style, then choose the ideal board for you, it should be portable, easy to clean, and be a friend to your expensive knives. A coated board, (one that is shiny), is not good for the edge of your chef knife, so you will need to sharpen the knife frequently.

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!

This is my first year with a wisteria vine, which I planted last fall. They tell me it is unusual for a wisteria to bloom the first year, but this vine is in a very sunny location and the ground is rich hummus and slightly wet. The vine itself looked to be about 3 years old, it was in a 10 inch pot, and like most floral stock in the fall was on sale. Let's hope it continues to love it's spot and covers the old kiddie gym/swing will disappear under all the blooms! These are the other varieties of flowers in this little garden

Dutch Girl Pea Soup

I really loved pea soup when I was a girl, my mother would make a giant pot of it, serve with brodjes (little soft buns)and Dutch cheese, a perfect meal. My pea soup is a little different than my mothers, I like to put carrots in mine and often will blend it until it is smooth, almost like a cream soup....no denying it pea soup is a good tasting good for you soup. You can use a left over ham bone instead of the ham hock, but no need to parboil if using the ham bone. Also, you can make it without the ham or bacon, just the veggies, when I make it like that I blend it all together to make it smooth, then add the carrot coins, parsley leaves and mint (if using).

Dutch Girl Pea Soup

1 2-3 pound ham hock, smoked
Water to cover

Par cook the ham hock for 1 hour, bring to boil for 5 minutes, skim the foam, turn heat to medium low, simmer for 50 minutes. Remove from water, toss water out, (it is too salty to use for anything). At this point, you can cut off some of the fat that remains on the ham hock, but leave the ham on the bone, it will shred itself into the pea soup.

3 slices of bacon, cut into lardons
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, washed well, chopped
A few Celery leaves
6 Fresh parsley stems
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 smaller carrot, sliced into coins, set aside til later
4 cups dried split green peas, rinse and pick over for stones
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
10-12 cups Water, do not use stock, it will be too salty when using the ham hock or ham bone
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon dried mint, optional

In a large stock pot, cook the bacon until almost crisp, remove from pot, (reserve til serving the soup)but leave the bacon drippings, add to that the butter, when it has melted, add the onion, celery and chopped carrot, (reserve the carrot coins until later), cook and stir veggies until well coated with the butter bacon dripping mixture, add the split peas, stir well to coat with the butter mixture, add salt and pepper, the parsley stems and celery leaves, stir well, then add the ham hock and water, stir to get everything up from the bottom and especially all of the peas, because the peas like to sink to the bottom of the pot, if left there will burn your soup. Bring soup to boil, boil for 10 minutes, stir occasionally, turn heat down to medium low, let simmer for 75 minutes, then add the carrot coins, chopped fresh parsley leaves, and if desired a teaspoon of dried mint. Stir well, by this time the meat on the ham hock will have fallen off the bone, you can remove the bone, if there is still meat clinging to the bone, remove the meat, toss back into soup, along with a bit more salt if needed. Stir well, soup is ready when carrot coins are tender. Serve soup with reserved bacon bits and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork

This is my version of Pulled Pork, Southern style. The recipe is very easy, you can cook up the pork today, let it sit in the Carolina style barbecue sauce overnight to meld the flavour and eat it tomorrow. guaranteed, you will love it and serve it often.

Pulled Pork

3-5 pound boneless Pork Shoulder/ aka Pork Butt
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 stalks of celery, cut into chunks
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with knife, not chopped

3-4 peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt
1 Bay Leaf
Water to cover, do not use stock, pork will make its own juicy sauce

Cut pork shoulder into 2-3 inch chunks, put into Dutch oven with other ingredients, add water to cover, bring to boil, skim off foam, turn heat to medium low, simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 2-3 hours or until the pork is tender and can be shredded between your fingers, add more water if the meat is not tender, and continue to simmer until most of the water has evaporated and pork is tender. Stir all together, including the visible fat, this is what gives the pork flavor and keeps it from being dry. Add 1-1/2 cups Carolina barbecue sauce, stir well, cover and refridgerate until next day.

Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce

1-1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tablespoon of yellow mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce
Measure all ingredients into a saucepan, bring to boil, turn heat to low and simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. This sauce is more on the vinegary side to cut the fat of the pulled pork, it works really well together.

Serve warm pulled pork on a soft roll with extra barbecue sauce, cole slaw, or shredded lettuce and green onions (mix lettuce and onions with ranch dressing, if desired). Pulled pork freezes well, stays well in fridge for 1 week.

Carolina Style Cole Slaw

4 cups shredded cabbage, shredded carrots and shredded white onions
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Mix all dressing ingredients together, pour over cabbage/vegetable mixture, let stand fo a couple of hours before serving, mix again, serve on the pulled pork sandwich or on the side, as you prefer.

Indispensable Kitchen and Cooking Tools

One of my very favorite things to do is shop in a kitchen store. From good Dutch ovens, to wooden spoons I have made a list of essential and indispensable tools for use in the kitchen, take stock, if you have had some utensils for a while, maybe it's time for new ones?
Knives:
get the ones where the tang is bolted to the handle(cuisinart,paderno) get ones that you have held in your hand, that you are comfortable holding- utility, peeler,6-7 inch chef knife, 10 inch chef knife, bread knife,good shears, for cutting through chicken backs etc, boning knife, other knives are not needed, but you could get a plastic knife, to cut lettuce so it won't brown after cutting, lettuce corer;
Oven tools:
2-3 large sheet pans 11x15, use these for grilling veggies in oven or bbq, cooking pork chops in oven, pizza, free form pies, breads, sheet cookies, sheet pies, jelly roll cakes, etc most useful oven tool I own
1-2 roasting pans, stainless steel, different sized, with a removable rack,to do a large turkey or a roast of chicken, beef or pork, or a very large pan of lasagna, moussaka, Greek pasticio;
Various sized loaf pans, 8 & 9 inch round baking pans,8 & 9 inch square baking pans, 9x13 oblong baking pans,springform pans various sizes (cheesecake),bundt pan, muffin tins, large and small, angel-food cake pan, cookie sheets, pie plates, various sizes, pie weights;
Meat Thermometer
Candy thermometer
Bowls:
2 large stainless steel bowls, great for bread and pizza dough, can rise right in the bowl, coleslaw or salad mixing etc.
2-3 other sizes of stainless steel bowls, I use medium sized the most for whipped cream, icing, quick muffins, as a double boiler(bowl over pan of simmering water)
2-3 small 1-2 cup sized ceramic bowl, for microwave heating of frozen veggies, leftover sauce, gravy, soup
Measuring Cups, Spoons:
1-8 cup sized Pyrex measuring cup, I use this for lots of things including making microwave white sauce (béchamel) lots of room to measure and mix in this measuring cup, also ideal for measuring out ingredients for soups, stews canning, etc;
2-2 cup Pyrex sized measuring cups, try to get one with a lid;
1-2 4 cup sized measuring cups at least one should be Pyrex with a lid, ideal for keeping whipped cream fresh, small salads, storing fresh made sauces, rhubarb chutney, chocolate or caramel sauce, various washed berries, etc.
2-3 sets of steel measuring spoons,
2 sets each steel wet and dry measuring cups, plastic is cheaper but distorts over time;
Pans:
2-3 Dutch ovens, 2-1/2 gallon size, a tall stainless one for spaghetti sauce, chili, soup, stock, a 2 gallon size wider short ceramic one,for braising meat and stews, a 2-1/2 gallon size regular stainless one with an insert for cooking pasta, blanching veggies, etc
Sauté pan, crepe pan, flat cast iron flapjack pan, non stick flat grill pan(grilled chees)
Cast iron grill pan, has to be able to go into oven, (watch the handles, should be stainless or cast iron)
Cast iron pan, various sizes for making corn bread, apple tart, frying bacon, it's even heat will never let you down
Pots:
1-2 large 1 gallonsize stainless saucepan, for making oatmeal, cooking rice, polenta, custard, white sauce (béchamel) etc.
1-2 Medium stainless sauce pans used for cooking caramel, boiling eggs, and any other kind of sauce that you like
1 small stainless sauce pan for small jobs
Strainers, Colanders:
2-3 colanders, large, medium and small, get at least one that you can use to steam veggies, pot stickers, dim sum goodies, etc, and one that will suspend over the sink for draining pasta, draining and rinsing canned chick peas, beans or legumes, and for rinsing berries etc,
1-2 very small colander with a handle can be used with a funnel to strain oil you have used for frying etc.
Other Useful and Necessary Tools
Kitchen scales, measure in metric and imperial;
1 package of cheese cloth, used for bouquet garni,fine straining, used to strain plain yogurt to make greek style yogurt, etc.
Parchment paper, I hardly ever butter a cake pan, I use parchment; muffin tin liners
Silpat sheets, foil
Hand Blender, not the most expensive, but one of the most useful tools I have
Stand mixer or very good hand mixer
Food processor, with variety of blades, for chopping, shredding, slicing, grinding
2 Coffee mills, one for coffee, one for spices
Mandolin or VSlicer, very useful for even slicing of fruit and veggies, quick
Hand Tools:
3-4 wooden spoons various lengths; 4 rubber/silicone scrapers, (strong) at least 2 of these must take hot liquid, one or two of these for use in baking only; 2 pastry brushes, one for pastry, one for brushing sauce on meat; vented steel spatula, regular spatula; steel long handled spoon; 3-4 wire whisks several sizes, one covered whisk for use in ceramic Dutch oven, prevents scratches; flat handled wire skimmer/strainer, to strain meatfoam(when boiling meat the scum comes up must be skimmed off) skimming jam/jellies, congealed fat, use also for poached egg retrieval and draining;1-2 flat angled wooden scraper, to prevent thick sauces from sticking to the bottom; 2-3 rolling pins, various sizes, with and without handles, for large and small pastry/ taco/dumpling rolling; 4-5 scoops various sizes, use for cookies, meatballs,muffins,etc, (equal sized=even cooking); 2-3 ladles, various sizes; cherry/olive pitter; wooden citrus juicer; several sizes of tongs, make sure one is long handled; garlic press; citrus press; pizza wheel cutter; micro plane/hand grater for cheese and spices; citrus zester; mortar and pestle; v arious sized funnels for filling salt/pepper shakers, bottles etc.; potato masher, potatoe ricer;meat tenderizer,(looks like a double head hammer) stainless one piece;2-3 various sizes off-set spatula, for frosting cakes and flipping pancakes/crepes; box grater.

Asparagus Season

I love asparagus, it has a terrific flavour and is a very versatile ingredient, asparagus can be used for soup, salad, pasta dishes, roasted with speck or prosciutto, and eaten with yummy hollandaise sauce. No matter how you prepare it, enjoy it often during the short growing season we have in Ontario. Here is one really great way to make a memorable lunch or side dish salad.

Asparagus Hard Boiled Egg Salad

4-6 slices bacon cut into lardons
2 bunches 1-1/2 pounds each Asparagus, if you can get white asparagus, use 1 bunch of each
4 eggs, hard boiled
1/4 white onion, chopped fine, or 2 green onions sliced fine on the bias (slanted slices)
Dressing
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoon bacon dripping
Salt and pepper, to taste

Measure and mix the dressing in a small mason jar, add bacon dripping when finished cooking the bacon, shake well to mix, taste for salt and pepper. Cook bacon, drain on paper towel, reserve 2 tablespoons bacon dripping for the salad dressing, meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan fill with water, enough to cover eggs, bring water to boil, boil for 2 minutes, turn off the heat let eggs stand for 10 minutes, drain, then rinse in cold water, this helps to loosen the shell, peel eggs, separate the whites from the yolks, set aside.
Cut the asparagus tips into 4-5 inch lengths,   (use the rest of the asparagus for soup or omelettes or pasta salad) wash well to loosen the sand, put into saucepan with salt and water, enough to cover, bring to boil, boil for 3 minutes, lower heat and simmer for another 2 minutes, asparagus should be crisp tender. Drain, rinse with cool water to stop cooking, drain again, dry asparagus off, set on serving plate, arrange the egg whites on one side and the egg yolk on the other side, sprinkle the bacon and green onions over top of asparagus, drizzle dressing over the salad, Enjoy!

Dutch Croquettes- Variations on a Theme

For many years, I only made croquettes with leftover turkey, after Thanksgiving or Christmas, a classic recipe, a good thick roux, nutmeg, onion, salt and pepper and shredded turkey, each croquette breaded and fried a golden brown, sounds easy? It was, everyone liked it, bring out the homemade bread and Dutch mustard, add a little frisée or arugula and you have a lovely appetizer, or lunch. But.....along the way, I often had other left over meat from roasting or simply made the croquettes from combination of chicken breasts and chicken thighs. At one point I was also making ham croquettes, then I met a Dutch butcher who made the most terrific beef ones.......
So, while perusing the Dutch International Cook Nook FaceBook page, I realized I had not made any beef croquettes but can share my experience with the different ones I have made over the years, then try to make the beef croquettes recipe one of the ladies shared on the Dutch International Cook Book/Koek Boek. So here goes....

1 5-6 lb chicken, roasted
1 teaspoon Salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 medium white onion, chopped fine
1 stalk celery, chopped fine
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Pinch or two of crushed chili flakes
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chicken stock you can use boullion cubes and hot water
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk, if you don't have this, use 1/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup extra stock

Crust

1-1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper, you could also add a bit of cayenne, just for an extra kick
6-8 eggs mixed with 1/4 cup water
2-3 cups fine Breadcrumbs
2-3 cups Panko breadcrumbs
To serve
Naan Bread, crusty bread, French fries

Start by roasting a chicken, or if you are pressed for time, buy a chicken roasted from Sobeys. Remove all the chicken from the bones, (reserve the back, bones and skin for soup). I like the roasted flavour rather than boiling the chicken because it seems to absorb more of the spices I am adding in this recipe.
Shred the remaining chicken into little bits with the food processor, add salt and pepper, set aside. Chop I medium white onion fine, 1 stalk celery, chopped fine. In a large sauce pan add 1/4 cup butter, sauté the onion and celery, until almost translucent, add 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, a pinch or two of crushed chilies, saute those with the onion and celery until you can smell them, about 1 minute, then add 1/4 cup flour, to the veggie/ butter mix, cook and stir over medium heat until the flour has cooked out about a minute, then add 2/3 cup chicken stock, and 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk, cook and stir over medium heat until it is nice and thick, add back the shredded chicken stir well, it will be very thick, taste for salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until it is cool enough to handle, (overnight is best but I have waited 2-1/2 hours to finish them). Then form into little logs, dip into 1-1/2 c seasoned flour, then 6-8 eggs mixed with 1/4 c of water, then 2-3 cups breadcrumbs, you can do the "dip" twice if you are freezing them, it seems to make them hold together better, for the second dip you can use panko breadcrumbs for that extra crunch, fry them until golden, enjoy with naan or crusty bread of French fries.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage with a twist and a kick!

Everyone I know has had a recipe for sweet and sour red cabbage, ideal side dish for pork roast, pork chops, chicken thighs, sausages and any other dish you can pair it with, me, I like to eat it by itself, it's so good!

So here is my recipe for this wonderful dish that can be eaten hot, or room temperature, and enjoyed anytime of the year!

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

4 slices of bacon, cut into lardons
3 tablespoons bacon drippings
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium sized head of red cabbage,cored,sliced thin (1/4 inch)with v-slicer/mandolin,
(second slicing notch on v- slicer) or slicing blade on food processor
2 large white onions, sliced as thinly as the cabbage, use the same slicing method as above
2 large Granny Smith Apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced thinly
2 large Mutzu Apples, unpeeled, cored, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 allspice berries, whole
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon nutmeg grated
1/2 cinnamon stick-2 inch piece
Pinch red pepper flakes- optional
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups water

Prepare all ingredients as stated, when you make everything ready it's easier. In a large stock pot, over medium high heat, cook lardons of bacon until slightly crispy, remove the bacon bits, drain on paper towels, reserve. To the bacon drippings, add the butter, stir until melted,lower heat to medium, then add 1/2 the sliced cabbage, 1/2 the onions, stir until coated with the butter/bacon drippings, then add the other 1/2 of the cabbage and onions, stir until all is coated with the butter bacon mixture, add the apples, stir and cook down a bit, then add the salt, pepper, allspice berries, whole cloves,bay leaf, grated nutmeg, red pepper flakes, if using, stir everything together until well mixed. Mix up the water, brown sugar,vinegar, then add to red cabbage mixture, add the cinnamon stick, bring all to the boil, stir to coat everything, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stir thoroughly from time to time to be sure all cabbage gets cooked, leave lid off for the last 20 minutes to let the liquid evaporate, remove allspice berries, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf; if the sauce is too thin to your taste, remove cabbage mixture, leaving the liquid then bring to a boil, thicken with a combination of 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch/water slurry, stir until thick, return the cabbage onion apple mixture, coat with the thickened sauce,serve, sprinkled with the reserved bacon, enjoy it hot or at room temperature. This can also be cooked in a slow cooker, just cook the bacon in the regular way, then proceed to layer cabbage with the other ingredients, reduce the water to 1-1/2 cups.

Almond Cake

Almond cake, a recipe I posted several days ago, can be flavoured however you like, just change the extract flavour and leave top plain or with whatever topping you prefer, I recently made this cake with vanilla extract with coarse salt very lightly sprinkled on top, giving it a faint sweet and salty flavour

This is the original Almond Cake pictured above

Whenever you make this cake, plan ahead, use in season fruit, or lemon, or vanilla. The texture is light and fluffy and will take any number of toppings or go with fruit and whipped cream. A nice caramel sauce would also go well, served under the cake, then with fruit or as a drizzle on top.

Easy Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream, half and half, or evaporated milk(not light,and not 2% Evaporated milk)

Place all ingredients into large sauce pan, heat on medium stirring until sugar and butter dissolve, bring to boil, boil for 2 minutes, stirring all the time, so the mixture doesn't burn on the bottom, the sauce is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Let it cool slightly, put into mason jar, refridgerate remainder, lasts two weeks, if you can keep it that long, it's just too delicious

Rhododendron Nova Zembla

This wonderful Rododendron jumped into my cart last time I was at the garden centre, selling for half price, it will be a wonderful addition to my garden, just have to pick the right place to put it. This shrub will grow to 5 feet by 5 feet and needs at least 60 % sun.

This is a close up of the flower, it is really vibrant!

This is the large rhodo that I currently have and I have a small mauve one in a garden opposite this one, that is about 3-1/2 feet high, and is likely to stay relatively small.

Stuffed Mushrooms

i know it seems I jump around a lot with the recipes, but this recipes was my girls favourite, and since it will be their birthday soon, I want to relay the recipe, so they have it in their inbox. Use 1 large portabello mushroom cap per person if it is an appetizer, or if using white or brown domestic mushrooms, use 2-3 per person. This recipe is for 12 white/ brown large cap mushrooms. Oven 350 degrees F, prep time 30 minutes, cook time 20 minutes approx.

Stuffed Mushrooms

12 large white mushroom caps 1 inch or more in diameter
Stems and scraping from inside these mushrooms, chopped finely
1/2 pound smoked bacon, cut into small lardons
Reserve the bacon drippings
3 tablespoons butter
3-4 green onions, white part chopped, green part reserved
1- large clove garlic, minced
2 stems fresh thyme, leaves picked off stems
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tableoons butter, melted
1 cup fine breadcrumbs

Wash and dry each mushroom, snap off the stems, being careful not to break the mushroom cap, with a small sharp teaspoon, (grapefruit spoon works here) scrape each mushroom cap free from the brown gills and making the mushroom cap a little deeper in order to fill it with lots of stuffing. This should be done for any type of mushroom that you are using. Place the mushrooms cap side down, (underside up) on a baking sheet, salt the inside of each mushroom cap.
In a medium sauté pan, cook lardons of bacon til almost crisp, remove from pan, drain on paper towels, leave the bacon drippings in the pan and add 3 tablespoons butter, add the chopped mushroom stems and scrapings from the mushroom caps, let the butter and bacon drippings coat the chopped mushroom pieces stir until it starts to brown, and looses its moisture, add the chopped white part of the green onion, the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, cook and stir until the onion is just soft, but not brown. Remove from heat, add back the bacon lardons, the cream cheese, stir well, taste for salt and pepper. Let the mixture cool slightly, then fill each Mushroom cap generously. Sprinkle each mushroom with the shredded Gruyere. Mix the melted butter and the breadcrumbs together, sprinkle mixture over each filled mushroom, bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly, garnish with reserved chopped green onion tops. Serve as an appetizer or side dish with bbq steak and baked potatoes.

Almond Cake

This is one of the easiest and tastiest cakes you can make. Serve with fresh fruit any kind, and whipped cream or caramel sauce. Enjoy!

Almond Cake

10 inch fluted pie pan, well buttered
Oven 350 degrees F 30-40 minutes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup creme fraishe ( easy to make: combine 1 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk,let stand for 8 hrs, or it thickens)
1-1/2 cup white sugar plus 1 tablespoon reserved
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Combine melted butter, and sugar, beat well, add eggs, beat well after each addition, then add creme fraishe, whip with mixer until fluffy, then add salt, and flour, stir to combine, then add almond extract, stir gently. Pour mixture into prepared pie pan, sprinkle top with almonds,and reserved sugar, bake for 30-40 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.

Easy Spinach Pasta

I found a great recipe for creamy spinach pasta, and made it great with a few tweaks of my own, this is so easy it takes about 15-20 minutes from start to finish.

Spinach Cream Sauce

1-250 gram pkg cream cheese
1 cup half and half, (you can substitute evaporated, or creamy soy milk if you don't want to use cream)
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped dried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
Fresh ground pepper

Put all ingredients into food processor, process until the cheese is smooth.

1-400 gram bag of baby spinach, washed and dried
1-500 gram bag of your favourite pasta

Cook pasta to your taste in a large pot, drain most of water,(leaving about 1/4 cup) return all to pot, add the spinach stir, put the lid on, the steam from the pasta and remaining water should wilt the spinach, after 4-5 minutes add some of the sauce from the processor bowl, stir, put the lid on pot, wait another 4-5 minutes stir, by now you should be getting that creamy saucy pasta that we all love, if it is still a little watery, put the pot on low heat for a couple of minutes, what should happen if you have cooked the pasta until just done, the drained pasta should still cook a little more and absorb the sauce, making it nice and creamy, (in the same way as KD does). Add a little more grated Romano or Parmesan cheese and another crack or two of black pepper.

Enjoy with chicken, or any other meat. We used leftover meatballs from the meatball with romesco sauce, just the meatballs not the sauce, which I reserved for another dinner sandwich, heat up the meatballs, toss together with the pasta and spinach sauce, it should turn a little pink with the bits of sauce that clung to the meatballs, it is delicious, no added flour, or other thickening agent used. Reserve the remaining creamy sauce in freezer.

Garden in Spring

I have a great garden, periodically I make changes, move things around, usually to make room for new bushes, vines and other perennials. Last fall, I took out my huge hydrangea bushes in the front and planted these great azalea bushes, covered the root ball with soil, mulched with pine needles, well not only did they survive...(what I didn't say is it took me a long time to decide where they were going, so they sat potted in the front of the house for at least 3 weeks), this is the color very vibrant!

This next picture is of the new hellebores or Lenten roses I planted last fall, there were three but only two survived the winter, they are amoung the first to bloom after the tulips but before the star of Bethlehem!

I love to change and rearrange the plants in my various gardens, endlessly satisfying for a few dollars you can add great color to your world!