Cabbage and Zucchini Soup

Cabbage and Zucchini are the marriage made in Heaven for cabbage lovers. You need a food processor, or you need to be the best knife in the West. I have a food processor. I discovered that eating cabbage—as in slaw—was impossible for me after I got my dentures, so the answer was easy, make it similar to slaw but soften the cabbage so that it could be eaten more easily. Softening anything, generally, means cooking over heat…yummy, and it is, fresh and yummy!

3 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup white wine

1 head cabbage (green)

2 zucchini

1-6 oz can condense milk

1-6oz can of water

3 cubes chicken bouillon

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp garlic powder

Prior to cooking, quarter the cabbage and slice the zucchini so that they will chop more easily in the food processor. Chop them to a fairly fine consistency.

Over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven, heat oil. Add white wine and allow to cook, burning off alcohol, add cabbage and zucchini and gently sauté for 2-minutes or until all bits have been lightly warmed. Reduce heat to medium, add milk plus on can of water, bouillon, onion salt, cumin, and garlic powder, cook thoroughly (approximately 15 to 20 minutes), and serve. The soup tends to thicken naturally.

Note: If you prefer fresh onions instead of onion salt, add the onion to the food processor. For a different flavor, instead of cumin, use ½ tsp of sage.

Delicious Drunk Duck

Duck is one of the more “oily” birds but has a delicious flavor, and I’m not a fan of the “wild” flavors that many game birds will have…this is not the case with duck. The hardest part of cooking a duck—we always had one for Thanksgiving—is finding it available during the seasons. Many stores do not carry duck, although, this will work with other game birds, it’s particularly delicious and homey when fixed as a whole duck.

The marvelous meat of the duck is dark, and men love the dark meat of a bird…seems to be a thing among men, but it’s really juicy and a favorite. The recipe is really simple, it taste great and it has the potential to change your Thanksgiving menu from Ham to Duck!

1 whole duck (thawed, giblets removed)

2 Winesap apples (cored and quartered)

2 Golden oranges (peeled and separated)

1 onion (diced)

1/3 cup Worcestershire

2/3 bottle Peach Brandy

½ cup White wine

2 tsp Paprika

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Curry

2 tsp cilantro

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350-degrees

In Dutch oven or roasting pan, place the duck, whole, skin-on. Add remaining ingredients and cook per instructions for the duck. 

Note: It is incumbent upon the cook to drink the 1/3 of the brandy left-over from this recipe...inside joke, the drunk is not the bird...LOL

Deep Fried Summer Squash

The recipe works equally well for any squash that you enjoy fried, but we use it most of the time to fry Summer Squash or Zucchini. The most important direction in the recipe is to separate each piece of squash so that it gets fried as a single piece and crisp, rather than becoming soggy and not fully cooked.

My husband has found a great, inexpensive, roadside stand to buy the summer squash, so I will be cutting it up and freezing some of it for later use. Sealing in a Seal-a-Meal will insure that it does not get freezer burn.

½ cup flour

½ cup corn meal

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 summer squash (cut in rounds)

Oil for deep frying

I use a double-basket deep fryer, but oil can be heated in a skillet. The oil should be approximately 350-degrees when you drop the squash into it.

 Cut Squash into 1/8-inch rounds. In plastic sandwich bag, crack eggs and seal bag, and squish with your hand to mingle the egg white and yellow. In a second sandwich bag, add flour, meal, and salt. Reseal and toss mixture in bag to thoroughly mix.

Place several squash in egg mixture bag. Seal bag and move around to equally coat each piece, and then transfer with tongs to flour/meal mixture. Separate each piece as you drop them into the oil. In the deep fryer, each side cooks for approximately 4 minutes or until golden brown. Frying on stove top, may vary, but the system is still the same; each piece should be golden brown before turning.

Drain on plate covered with paper towels. Serve with Ranch Dressing or any number of sauces that you use for fried foods. Cutting and separating pieces can be time consuming, but it turns each piece into a tasty golden piece of Heavenly delight. 

Note: Adding 1 tsp of Paprika and 1 tsp Garlic to flour and corn meal mixture makes an excellent coating for fried chicken. 

Susan’s Hearty Red Chicken Stew

Excellent meal for Halloween

By: Susan Dickson

In my house when October and chilly weather roll around everyone in my immediate and extended family starts clamoring for me to make my red chicken stew. It has long been a family favorite in my house. I make it every Halloween before we go out trick-or-treating so it is ready to eat when we walk back in the door. This dish and popcorn, chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa make the perfect Halloween dinner and dessert to my family.

What you will need:

2lb of boneless chicken breast

2 cups cubed potatoes

Ketchup

2 small cans of tomato paste

Rice

1 large or 2 small onions

In a big stock pot put your chicken and onions on to boil. Put plenty of water as this will make your broth for the stew.

After your chicken is done, tear it into big hunks (some people like bite size pieces so that is up to you) put it back into the stock pot and let it simmer on low for about 10 minutes.

Bring the stew back to a boil and slowly add your tomato paste stirring to make sure it dissolves completely before adding your potatoes.

The ketchup is added last. Keep adding and stirring until your stew takes on a deep red color.

Bring to a boil again then lower to a simmer. While your stew is simmering (this should take about an hour and a half. But I usually let it simmer longer) put on a pot of rice.

Once done ladle the red chicken stew over the rice and enjoy.  Coupled with biscuits or corn bread this is a nourishing meal and will keep the chill of the cool autumn nights away.

Susan is a freelance writer who is passionate about many things. She has always had a passion for parenting and children’s clothing. She is currently working on a project for a tøj til piger children’s clothing project. 

Short on Time, Great Sandwich

www.igourmet.com

Today, short on time is an understatement, I’m behind on everything. Two nights a week, we eat either sub sandwiches or hot dogs—yumo, heartburn in a bun—because bowling is a fairly active sport and does not ‘jell-well’ with over-eating or heavy meals. While I love subs, my favorite sandwich is one made on pumpernickel…believe it or not, the only bread my husband will not eat. It is, however, a very filling sandwich that combines all the food groups.

Roast Beef Deli-slices

Turkey Deli-slices

1 lrg tomato sliced in rounds

2 avocados sliced

1 pckg Muenster Cheese (sliced)

1 pkg Button mushrooms sliced

1 head lettuce, whole leaves

Ranch Dressing

1 loaf Dark Pumpernickel

Salt and pepper to taste

There is no cooking involved; unless you prefer to cook the mushrooms and sandwich assembly is elementary. For mine, I start with the meat, then cheese, then lettuce, tomato, avocado and mushrooms and top with a liberal amount of ranch dressing. My second husband always used thousand islands…the choice is whatever you prefer.

Note: It is recommended that you rinse and towel dry the mushrooms…don’t even know what the brown stuff is, but it looks like dirt.

Irish-Italian Meatballs, Peas, and Rice

For a more French-Style Meatball

There is really nothing Irish about the meatballs, other than the cook. Yesterday when my husband called to tell me he was headed home, I ran into the kitchen with the intention of making spaghetti, however, there were no noodles in the cupboard. Re-think the meal, “Ah, all the ingredients we need for meatballs except Panko bread crumbs, no worry, we have flour.”

Anytime you make a meat-patty that combines egg, flour will work, generally not as tasty, but it works. There are alternatives, such as potato chips, Cheese Nips (especially the white cheese style), corn chips, anything that will help to bind the ingredients.

It was not until almost 6, that I remembered my husband was in Stringtown when he called. The meatballs were the perfect choice as they reheat well.

1 lb. ground meat or chuck

½ small onion (diced)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp cilantro

1 egg (beaten)

4 to 5 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 350-degrees

In medium mixing bowl, add ground meat, small onion, and spices, mixing well with hand. Add egg, mix to coat all the meat; then add flour, mixing well. Roll into 3-inch balls and place on greased/cooking spray cookie sheet. Cook 20 to 25 minutes. If using NuWave oven, as I did, 10-minutes on level 10.

Meatball peas and gravy

3 tbsp olive oil

2 cups frozen peas

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp tarragon

1/3 cup Worcestershire

½ cup water

2 beef bouillon cubes

In 3 oz. sauté pan, over-medium heat, add olive oil. When pan and oil are thoroughly heated, drop meatballs into oil; add frozen peas, nutmeg, and tarragon. Heat all ingredients until peas have begun to soften, add Worcestershire, cup water, and beef bouillon cubes. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid has reduced by half. Serve over 1 package Success Boil-n-Bag Rice.

Note: Mixed vegetables or stir fry work well with meatballs. Instead of rice, you could choose noodles, or potatoes. Tarragon might be replace by herb de Provence for that French-lover in the family.

Mysti's Nutty Shortcake Surprise

Every spring and summer, berries begin to overtake our home. We love the sweet-tart tastes, especially combined with nutty breads and sweet creams. My children squeal when they see berries washed, sliced, and sugared because they know something truly divine is going to emerge after dinner, perfect for those quiet nights on the patio as the sun sets over the mountains.

With the 4th of July just around the corner, this dish looks beautiful when strawberries and blueberries are combined atop the white sweet cream.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour or almond flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/3 cup milk
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Prep: 20 minutes, Total time 60 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Work in butter with fingertips until you have a coarse grainy flour. Add egg and milk. Mix until dough is moist. Turn dough onto a buttered and floured cookie sheet and pat into an 8 to 9 inch round cake.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Test with toothpick. If there is any dough, reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Remove from oven and lightly butter the top of the cake. Allow to cool for 20 minutes. Slice the shortcake in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Butter the inside bottom layer lightly. Allow the butter to melt and the cake to fully cool on separate plates.

Cover the bottom layer with sweet whipped cream and candied strawberries, black berries, raspberries, or blueberries. Replace the top layer and repeat whipped cream and berries with juices drizzling down.

This can be made a day ahead and rest in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Enjoy!

Mysti Reutlinger is a freelance writer and author residing in Wyoming. She covers a wide variety of topics pertaining to life and living. Mysti's work has appeared on e-How, Suite101, The Nest, Animal Fair, The WAHM Magazine (digital Mag), Crafting Fiction, and more.


For more information, visit www.InspirationalLifeWriter.com.