Roasting brings out the sweetness of almost any vegetable because it caramelizes the natural sugars in it. The flavors aren’t diluted by water (even steaming involves water and evaporation of flavor) and the texture is tender but not mushy. The Panko add a nice crunch while the Parmesan adds a little zing. You could also use bleu cheese instead of Parmesan. My family won’t eat bleu cheese so I only use it for my portion.

Start with an organic, firm head of cauliflower with no brown spots. Don’t separate the florets, just slice the whole thing thinly.

Place the sliced cauliflower in a 13x 9 inch pan that has been rubbed with cut garlic and then olive oil. I like to use a glass pan for this. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake it at 375F until it begins to get golden at the edges and is tender.

Mix:

• 1 1/2 cups of Panko crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Sprinkle over the cauliflower and put back into the oven.

Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until crumbs begin to brown. Remove and serve.

Absolutely simple, delicious, and a bit different. Because of the textures involved this goes great with fish add a little lemon zest to the crumbs) or roast chicken.

images:Marye Audet

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I cheated on this dish, admittedly. I had Marc go out and pick up cheese ravioli rather than making it myself. The recipe would work well with tortellini,stuffed shells, or any filled pasta.

I finished it with a bit of freshly grated Parmagiana  Reggiano. The flavors were spectacular: earthy portobellos, sweet apple, succulent chicken sausage, and mild onion gave way to tender pasta and creamy ricotta. I am still having trouble swallowing solids but I tried my best with this, I promise!

It was just that good. Serve it with a baguette or try this Rosemary Cracked Pepper bread. Add an endive salad with maybe a cranberry balsamic vinaigrette, and an apple tart for dessert. If you are going to have wine make it something fruity and round to balance the full flavors of this dish.

This is quick. Less than thirty minutes from start to finish and seriously delicious.

Ravioli Normandy

• 2 lbs of ravioli
• 1 lb of organic chicken and apple sausage, sliced
• 3 cups portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup of apple cider
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the ravioli until done. drain, toss in a little butter and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add the sausage, the onion, and the mushrooms. Saute, stirring often until mushrooms and onion are very tender.
4. Pour in the apple cider and simmer for a few minutes until the liquid is reduced by about half.
5. Add the remaining butter.
6. Spoon over the hot ravioli and toss to coat.
7. Garnish with grated cheese and serve hot.

Serves 6-8

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Summer is hot here. We don’t use air conditioning, haven’t for the several years we have lived in this house. Frankly, it is too expensive, but I also like the idea of flowing with the seasons..experiencing them rather than manipulating them. I know..I am so weird.

Nothing is worse than cooking a hot meal in a hot kitchen and serving it in a hot dining room. That is why God made salad.

Check it out.

Who isn’t going to eat that? Colorful, cool, with a variety of flavors and textures, Chopped Salad is an awesome meal to set on the table when it is too hot to cook. I always make the tortilla chips homemade, you can by them and crumble them if you like, but if it doesn’t taste as good don’t blame me.

The only secret is trying to get most of the ingredients chopped to the same size so the flavor/texture stays balanced.

Serve this with some ice cold melon or mango, or a fresh fruit sorbet and you are good to  go.

Chopped Salad

• 1 package organic baby herb salad
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 can dark red kidney beans
• 1 can black olives, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapenos chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes chopped (I did not have any the day I made it for this image)
• 1 avocado, chopped (optional)
• 1 bunch of cilantro chopped
• 2 hard boiled eggs chopped
• 1/2 lb diced Monterey Jack cheese cubed (pepper Jack is awesome)
• 2 cups tortilla chips, tortillas cut into squares before frying
• Recipe Chipotle Vinaigrette

Mix all ingredients together and serve immediately. It looks better if you plate each salad individually and add the chips last but you can serve it family style in a big bowl.  Yes it is that easy! Serves 8

Chipotle Vinaigrette

• 4 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbs lime juice
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 1-2 tablespoons strong honey (this is always best raw and local!)
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (canned, you can find it in the ethnic section of your market)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tbs fresh cilantro, minced
• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together, check seasonings and allow to stand for 30 minutes before using. Makes about 3/4 cup.

image:marye audet (c) 2009

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Sadly the antique tiered dishes are gone with the tea room and this was not as beautiful as she deserved.  But they were delicious and special enough for a birthday.

The smoked turkey combines with a spread that is made from dried cranberries, pecans, and cream cheese for  delicious, and delicate tea sandwiches.  If it had been for me I would have added a bit of bleu cheese but Erin is not a fan…yet.   If you are going to make your own bread for these then try an orange flavored quick bread loaf for a really elegant flavor pairing.

• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• pinch of salt
• pinch of chipotle if you have it
• tablespoon of grated orange zest
• 1/2 lb good quality deli smoked turkey, sliced on a “1″
• Bread with crusts removed

In a food processor, or by hand, mix the cream cheese, cranberries, pecans, orange zest, chipotle, and salt together until well blended.  You may need to add a little milk or cream to get a good spreading consistency.

Spread 1 tablespoon of the mixture on one slice of bread.

Roll three turkey slices up and lay them over the top of the spread.

Spread the other piece of bread with 1 tablespoon of the mixture and lay spread side down over the turkey.

Cut diagonally in fourths.

That’s it…Easy and delicious!

image:(c) marye audet

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I love Pasta Primavera.  It is light, flavorful, and really fast.  Can you ask for more? I don’t think so!  The only thing I thought it was missing is a little “bite-cha-back.  You know what I mean.

Chipotle.

This is my entry for  Presto Pasta Night.  You gotta use the freshest ingredients that you can find.  Nitrate free applewood smoked bacon, baby asparagus, the whole thing.  Fresh and fast for the best flavor- keep the vegetables crisp and serve it immediately upon mixing.  The whole thing takes less than 15 minutes.

Because I am using stronger flavors in this I am using a whole wheat angelhair pasta.  The whole wheat gives the pasta a chewy texture and enough flavor to hold up to the intense flavors.  If you are thinking of a light and romantic pasta primavera you don’t know me at all.  This is intense, passionate, and it will bite you back.

Pasta Primavera

1 lb whole wheat angel hair pasta

1/2 lb excellent bacon, chopped

1 lb asparagus, chopped and any tough ends removed

2 onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 cup steamed baby artichokes, sliced

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons finely chopped dried chipotle, or to taste

1/2 lb baby spinach

1/2 cup grated romano cheese

1. Cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease.
2. Steam the asparagus just until crip tender, and set aside.
3. Steam the artichoke and set aside.
4. Add the garlic, onion, pumpkin seeds and chipotle to the bacon pan.  Saute until the onion is tender and cooked.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta.  Do not over cook it!

1. Drain the pasta.  Add to the pan with the vegetables in it.
2. Add the bacon and spinach.
3. Stir the pasta, mixing in a the ingredients well.  Continue stirring over the heat just until the spinach begins to wilt.
4. Sprinkle with the Romano cheese and serve immediately with more grated cheese.

images;(c) marye audet 2009

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We don’t go out to eat very much, I think I have said that before.  For awhile we were going to a little Italian place close by but they closed..

I am honestly not a big Olive Garden fan but this soup is a favorite of mine.  It warms you up on a cold day and seems to me to be the epitomy of comfort.

It was hugely popular among our customers when we had the restaurant.  I have changed the recipe a bit.  This is very rich and you can lose some of the fat by using more chicken broth but you will also lose flavor and richness.  Serve it with a hunk of warm garlic bread or rosemary cracked pepper bread, a crisp salad, and a lemon meringue pie for a perfect late autumn dinner.  If you like less spicy foods substitute sweet italian sausage for the hot, or if you like it more spicy add some crushed red pepper to taste.

 Olive Garden Zuppa Tuscana

8 – 1 1/2  cup servings

• 1 1/2 lb hot Italian sausage,removed from casings
• 1 large, diced white onion
• 2 tbs garlic, chopped
• 1 quart organic chicken broth
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 lb diced red potatoes
• A  bunch of kale, washed and chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Add a little olive oil to a large frying pan and cook the garlic, onion, andItalian sausage until it is cooked through.  Cook over a medium heat and do not let the onion brown.

Meanwhile, cooke the potatoes in a little salted water until they are just tender.  Drain.

Add the sausage mixture and the potatoes to a pot and pour in the chicken broth.  Add the chopped kale.

Simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir in the heavy cream, warm through, and serve.

image:marye audet

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I love spinach but several of my family members absolutely do not!

There is something about the combination of balsamic vinegar and bacon and spinach, though, that wakes up your taste buds and lets them know that you know what you are doing.

This recipe goes together fast and easy.  If you can’t make homemade croutons then use good sour dough croutons from the store.  I used a combination of baby greens in this recipe with really good results as well.

SERVES 8

• 1/4 lb bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 c balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 3 pounds fresh spinach
• 2 cups sour- dough croutons (homemade is best)

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the bacon and the onion.  Saute, stirring until the bacon is crisp and the onions begin to caramelize.  Stir in the spinach and balsamic vinegar.  Cook for three to five minutes until spinach is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste, stir in the croutons, and serve.

image:marye audet

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We got a blue norther through today. I have not seen one that color since one August in Michigan.  It was my Aunt and Uncle’s fiftieth anniversary and we were having a picnic…a blue norther blew through and dropped it 40 degrees in about 30 minutes.

Our temperature didn’t really drop today..too much..it’s supposed to get down to 42 tonight.  I have no way of predicting the winter..I used to depend on the horses’ coats for that..thick meant a colder than normal winter.

Anyway, all of a sudden it is soup season and I didn’t even realize it! One of our favorites is Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I like to keep it on the spicy side for several reasons..besides flavor the substance that makes things hot also happens to be good for your health.  It bumps up your immune system as well as other benefits.  You can buy tortillas to serve with the soup but the homemade ones are so much better. Just cut corn tortillas in strips and fry in deep, hot fat (375F).

I made a vat of this on Sunday because my friend, Andrea, was dealing with a very bad cold/flu/upper respiratory and I wanted to have enough to send over there.  I probably made at least two gallons…anyway..sent some to them, and my family at the rest before monday morning.

If you are having a chilly, blustery day and need something to make you feel loved, cherished, and spicy this is your soup.  You can make it in a crock pot as well.  Just put everything in there except the cheese, tortillas, and sour cream and let it simmer all day.  The house will smell incredible!

Don’t forget to vote in the Boobie Bake-off!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

•   2 onions, chopped
•   4 cloves garlic, minced
•  1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder or Mexican seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried chipotle granules (1/2 tsp of chipotle powder)
• 3  14 oz cans ro*tel tomatoes
• 2 pints organic free range chicken broth
• 1 pound  whole corn kernels, cooked
•  2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
•  3 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• Sour cream
• Tortilla chips

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion, green pepper, and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, chipotle, oregano, ro*tel tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in corn,  beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Serve in bowls topped with tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese.

This is great with Sopapillas for dessert, as long as you are heating up the oil for the chips anyway!

Image:Marye Audet

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Noodles, bacon, cheese….what’s not to love?

This freezes well, kidls love it, so do husbands and hormonal women…Perfect for a cold day, a bad day, a busy day…or just because.  Vary the cheese for flavor changes, use ham instead of bacon…Use a different type of pasta if you want. Yum.

This is my entry for Presto Pasta.   For more great pasta dishes head over to Presto Pasta Nights

Noodles, Bacon, and Cheese

• 2 lb egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 1/2 lb or more of bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup of cheddar cubed or grated
• 1 cup of Swiss, Gruyere, Monterey Jack,  Jalapeno jack, Gouda, Havarti…or a mix cubed or grated
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour

Saute the bacon and onion until the bacon is crisp and the onion is tender.  Mix with the noodles in a greased casserole.  Mix the cheeses together.  Mix in 3/4 cup of the cheese.

Make a white sauce.   Mix the flour and milk in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave, stirring often, until mixture thickens.  Stir in the butter and cheese.  Microwave until melted and smooth, continuing to stir often.

Check seasoning and add salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix well.  You can serve immediately or top with bread crumbs and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

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Sopapillas are wonderful, there is just no other way to say it…Hollow squares of fried dough, dusted with sugar, and served with honey to pour in the hollow middle part.  Every bite is sweet, and sticky, messy and incredible.

You have to serve them hot.  And you HAVE to eat all of them at that meal. You can’t save any for later.  Why? Because cold sopapillas are as disgusting as the fresh ones are good. Just. Don’t. Go. There.

Here in Texas they are often served as the dessert at the small Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants.  They are perfect because they are simple, inexpensive, and actually quite filling.  Did I mention delicious? Did I mention my addiction to them?

When you drop them in the fryer be sure not to crowd them and only do about 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size.  As soon as the float to the top start spooning the hot oil over them to make them puff even more.  Turn them once and take them out of the oil when they are golden.

Sopapillas

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and shortening until it is crumbly. Stir in water and  mix until the dough is smooth.

Cover and let stand for 20 minutes for the gluten to relax.  Meanwhile heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Roll out on floured board 1/8  thick. Cut into large-ish squares. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar or granulated sugar and serve hot with honey to pour in the hollow centers.

Image:Marye Audet

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