Robin's Smoked Gouda Soup

1 stick of butter

1 cup of chopped onion

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 chopped head of cabbage or 1 packet of tri-color coleslaw

¼ cup of flour

8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (two 16 oz. boxes of stock)

2 teaspoons of salt

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon cayenne powder

1 cup of ½ & ½ or milk

8 ounces of smoked gouda, shredded on box grater

3 chopped carrots

4 slices of bacon

 

Brown bacon until crisp and set aside until cooled. 

Melt butter in Dutch oven.  Sauté onion until translucent in butter.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add cabbage and cook until barely tender.  Sprinkle flour across cabbage – onion mixture and cook for 2 minutes until flour barely begins to brown. 

Add broth and spices and cook until mixture bubbles and slightly thickens.  Taste and add more salt if needed. 

Add milk and heat thoroughly.  Then add grated cheese and stir until melted.  Add carrots and simmer without boiling until carrots are barely cooked. 

Serve soup with parsley and crumbled bacon.

Deb's Ranch Dressing

 

Deb’s Ranch Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup buttermilk (shake well)

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1/8 sea salt

½ teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons chives (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

 

Whisk together mayo and buttermilk.  Mash garlic, onion, and salt together on a cutting board to form a paste.  Use parchment paper to make the transfer easier.  Whisk paste and dry mustard into mayo/buttermilk mixture.  Whisk in the chives, parsley, dill, and black pepper.  Add additional salt to taste (go easy!).  Refrigerate in an airtight jar.

Sylvia Dodson's Cornbread

 3/4 c. meal

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 c. flour

1/2 t. sugar

1/4 t. soda

1/8 c. oil

Bake at 450 until browned (20-25 minutes).

** Sylvia used ground meal from an Amish store. It is grainier than regular corn meal. She used unbleached flour.

*** Vickie doubles this recipe for a large iron skillet of cornbread.

Watermelon Citrus Salad

Fresh watermelon

2 navel oranges

½ cup fresh lime juice

½ cup honey

Pickled red onions

½ cup roasted pistachios

1 cube of greek feta cheese, sliced in 1/8” squares

2 TB of mint or cilantro

Make honey-lime syrup by boiling lime juice and honey for 2 minutes and allow syrup to cool.  Cut one-half of watermelon into large triangles.  Cut away orange rind with knife and slice oranges.  Place watermelon as the 1^st layer of the salad on a large platter.  Nestle orange slices among watermelon. Place feta cheese among orange slices.  Spread pickled red onions across the salad and then mint/cilantro.  Right before serving, drizzle honey-lime syrup across salad and sprinkle pistachios atop the syrup. 

Hot and Smoky Vegetarian Baked Beans

 Hot and Smoky Vegetarian Baked Beans

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 chopped green peppers

1 1/4 cups purchased barbecue sauce

3/4 cup dark beer

1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 

3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 whole chipotle chile from canned chipotle chilies, chopped

2 15- to 16-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained

2 15 to 16 oz cans chickpeas, drained

2 15 to 16 oz pork n beans without pork, drained

1 – 2 tablespoons liquid smoke

Chopped fresh parsley***

Brown onions and green pepper in olive oil until transparent.  Add onions and peppers to the next 7 ingredients in a bowl and stir to blend. Whisk in a whole chopped chipotle chile, or less, depending on spiciness desired. Stir in beans and liquid smoke. Transfer bean mixture to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish or crockpot. Bake uncovered until liquid bubbles and thickens slightly, about 1 hour. Or cook in slow cooker for 4 hours on low. Cool 10 minutes.

Thai Lettuce Wraps

 1 lb. ground chicken

2 minced garlic cloves

3 thinly sliced green onions (white & green parts)

1 thinly sliced fresh jalapeno (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

2 TB soy sauce

1 tsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek or sriracha

1 TB brown sugar

1 head iceberg or bibb lettuce, well rinsed and separated

2 fresh limes

½ onion cut in slivers

1 TB fresh ginger (optional)

Cilantro, basil or mint for topping (or all 3)

Heat nonstick skillet with 2 TB oil.  Quickly sauté jalapeno and onion for 1-2 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute.  Remove veggies from skillet and set aside.  Brown chicken in same skillet.  When browned, add cooked veggies back to skillet with soy, fish sauce, sriracha, and brown sugar.  Cook until liquid is almost completely reduced.  

Serve with juice of limes drizzled across the top.  Spread onion slivers and fresh herbs across the top.  Serve with chilled lettuce to serve as a wrap for chicken mixture.

Robin's Corn Chowder

 2 T. Olive oil

1 T. Butter

3 T. Flour

5 c. Vegetable stock

4 c. whole kernel corn

1 med. diced sweet onion

2 Russet potatoes, diced

1//2 c. each red and green pepper

1/4 T. black pepper

1 c. Half and Half

1 can diced tomatoes

Add oil and butter to pan over low heat. Saute onion until transparent. Sprinkle flour over onion, cook 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and cover for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

Add corn, peppers, salt, pepper, cream (tomatoes). Simmer over low for 10 minutes.

Garnish: 2 Roma tomatoes diced and 1/2 c. Basil

Makes 6 servings