Chinese New Year Candy

 These were brought to a women's retreat I attended recently, and, oh my stars, were they delicious! Upon my first bite of one of these scrumptious morsels, I decided I wasn't leaving without the recipe.

1- 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1- 6 oz. butterscotch chips

1- 3 oz. can of Chinese noodles (broken in half)

1- 7 oz. can salted peanuts

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in double boiler (or, Put the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30 second increments, stirring each time, until smoothly blended). Mix noodles and peanuts together in a large bowl. Stir in melted chocolate mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Chill immediately.

*Recipe makes about 28 to 30 candies. Might want to double the recipe.

PS: I don't know how to get rid of the text background color, but I'm not going to waste any more time on it!

Lemon Vinaigrette

 Discovered this in a friend's refrigerator and have been pestering her for the recipe ever since!

1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix together ingredients and toss onto green salad! So simple, and yet, so delicious!

Smoked Fish

 Inspired by our vacations to the shore of Lake Superior where the smoked fish is amazing and must be featured in as many meals as possible, from dinner in the dining room to picnic on the sailboat. I cobbled this recipe together from several I found online. This requires brining overnight, so prepare in advance!

Ingredients:

2 large fish filets (salmon, steelhead trout, whitefish, etc.)

Brine:

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C kosher salt

1 1/2 Tbsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. sweet smoked paprika

Method:

The day before smoking, mix together the brine ingredients and set aside. Rinse and dry the filets, checking for bones and making sure no stray scales are hiding on the fish. Trim the filets, cutting the thinner portions away from the thicker portions (you may be removing the thinner pieces from the smoker before the thicker pieces are finished). Place filets skin side down on a foil lined sheet pan. Cover the filets with the bring mixture, then cover the pan with foil and place in the fridge for 7-8 hours or overnight.

One to four hours before smoking, rinse the brine off the filets, pat dry, and return to sheet pan. Put back into the fridge for one to four hours to form the pellicle—a shiny surface which will better absorb the smoke and seal moisture in the filet. 

Two hours before smoking, soak the wood chips for the smoker (hickory or mesquite). 

Half an hour before smoking, start the smoker, spray racks with grill spray, fill water pan, fill chip tray with smoked chips, and bring smoker to a steady low heat (150 degrees max). * 

Once the smoker has reached 150 degrees, place the filets on the smoker racks skin side down, thinner pieces on top rack, and close smoker. After one hour, check the internal temperature of the filets. When they reach 120 to 130 degrees, remove from the smoker to a sheet pan and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. 

Enjoy! If there's any left over, wrap in butcher paper to keep in refrigerator. The leftovers are delicious served cold, included in a charcuterie board, or tossed into a salad.

*Note: these instructions are specific to my smoker, a Masterbuilt Gas Smokehouse. Your smoker may vary in method and materials needed.

Simply Marvelous White Chicken Chili

Perfect for a rainy day.  Heat it up to your taste with the Tabasco- I usually go for the maximum amount, but then, that's my preference.

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 ½ tsp. Butter

1 C diced Onion

2 C diced Celery

2 C chopped Red, Yellow and/or Green Pepper

2 cloves minced Garlic

1 tsp. minced Jalapeño

1 -7 oz. bottle of Beer

1 can diced Tomatoes

1 can Pinto Beans

1 can Chicken Broth

1/2 lb. Chicken, cooked and diced (4-5 breasts)

1 ½tsp. Chili Powder

3 tsp. Sugar

2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 ½ tsp. Pepper

1 ½ tsp. Onion Powder

1 dash Tabasco (or two, or three)

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

¼ tsp. Celery Salt

½ tsp. Cayenne Powder

¾C Milk

1/3 C Half-n-Half combined with 3 Tbsp. Cornstarch

In a large stockpot, gently sauté the onion, celery, garlic, peppers and jalapeño in the oil and butter for about 15 minutes.  Add beer, tomatoes, beans, and chicken.  Then add the seasonings, broth, sugar, and Tabasco.  Bring to a gentle boil and add milk and the cornstarch mixture, stirring to combine well.  Lower heat to a low simmer for 20 to 30 minutes; stirring often.  Adjust the seasonings to taste, adding more broth if it gets too thick.  Be sure to serve with a wonderful loaf of bread!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Italian Sausage, and Kale Soup

I needed to bring soup to an event at church and had a few different cravings rumbling around in my mind. This is the result of what I had on hand paired with those cravings.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and diced (medium dice)

Olive oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper

2 tsp. ground sage

2 lbs. bulk mild Italian sausage, browned and broken up, drain on paper towels

2 onions, diced

6-8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

8-10 C chicken broth

2-3 bay leaves

6-8 C chopped kale (I prefer Tuscan Kale, aka dinosaur kale)

shredded Parmesan for sprinkling on each serving, if desired

Toss the diced squash in a large bowl with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper, and sage. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven at 375 degrees until softened and slightly browned, about 25-30 minutes.

In a large soup pan, sauté the onions over medium heat in 1 Tbsp. olive oil until just beginning to brown. Add garlic, stirring, and allow to cook for 2-ish minutes before adding the turmeric, Italian seasoning, oregano, and red pepper flakes, stirring until the spices become fragrant. Add the chicken broth, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the good bits. Add bay leaves, cooked sausage, roasted squash, kale, and salt and pepper to taste. Raise the heat to high and bring to a light boil, then turn down to simmer and cook, stirring, for 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on each serving. 

Marsha's Fish Stew

My sweet friend Marsha brought this stew to us for dinner one day when we were in need. I asked her for the recipe as soon as I finished my first serving. She said she's never written it out before, so, after making it twice, and adding some broth to make it a bit soupier, here's my recording of her delicious fish stew. I hope the collaboration does justice to her marvelous culinary ingenuity.

Hummingbird Cake

  

Easy to make and so very delicious! This recipe comes from Paula Deen, and I'm so very grateful to the friend who first made it for me and then shared the recipe.