January 2007- Winter Soups & Breads

Thank you for hosting Colette! To submit your recipe, click on "comments" below.

R.S. Christmas Dinner: Soup, Bread & Salad

Pear-Blue Cheese Salad

1 T butter
1 cup pecans
½ cup granulated sugar
1/8 t salt
1 bag spinach (or a mix of spinach and romaine lettuces)
2 ripe pears (or crisp apples – pears are best)
½ cup crumbled blue cheese

To make pecans: In a nonstick skillet using a wooden spoon (must be wooden, a plastic spoon will melt), over medium high heat, melt butter. Add pecans, sugar and salt. Stirring constantly, move pecans in pan until sugar begins to dissolve. Once most of sugar is dissolved, take pan off of stove, and let pecans cool completely.
Audrey’s note: It seems initially in this process that nothing is happening, and then the sugar dissolves all at once. At this point it is very easy to burn the pecans, so be careful to stir constantly, and remove from heat if the pecans are getting too brown.

Place spinach/ lettuce in salad bowl. Top with pears (sliced thinly), crumbled blue cheese, and pecans (cooled and slightly crumbled with your hand as you put them on top of the salad. Dress salad lightly with vinaigrette recipe below.



Dijon Vinaigrette

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. finely chopped onions or shallots
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
6-10 Tbsp sugar (or splenda)
(Audrey’s note: use as much sugar as you prefer, vinegar should taste sweet but still tangy. If it is not sweet enough, add slightly more sugar, if it is too sweet add slightly more vinegar)
1 Tbsp. Dijon style mustard
½ t salt
¼ t black pepper

In a blender, Quisinart or using a hand blender, combine all ingredients. If you don’t have any of the above tools you can put in a container with a lid and shake very well.

When dressing the salad, don’t use all of the vinaigrette, first dress it with about ½ of the dressing and taste it to see if it needs more (an over-dressed salad can be gross…)



Butternut Squash Soup

1 Med. - Large Butternut Squash
1 Large Onion, Chopped
1/2 C. Butter
3 C. Chicken Broth
1 1/4 C. Evaporated Milk
1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Pinch of Salt
Dash of nutmeg

Roast Squash in oven. Remove seeds and skin. Saute onion and butter. Puree onions butter & Squash in blender until smooth. In stockpot add all ingredients. Heat thoroughly. *{Quick method Remove skin from squash and cube. In stockpot, cook squash and onion in butter until soft. Then continue at the puree step.}





Italian Bread

Wride's secret recipe.

R.S. Christmas Dinner: Main Course & Dessert

Beef Brisket

1 Beef Brisket
2 Packages of Lipton Onion Soup

Sprinkle on both packages of Lipton Onion Soup mix. Cook Brisket in the oven at 275 degrees for 6 - 7 hours or until it easily falls apart. Trim the excess fat and serve.


Green Beans

If you're have a party and you want no blanching, no worry fresh greenbeans with an imitation sauted flavor you can toss them in your crockpot on high for 2 hours with some butter and garlic. - Crisp, Fresh and Yummy!!!



Funeral Potatoes

1 bag frozen hashbrowns
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pint of sour cream
1 stick of butter cut into 1/2 tablespoon pieces
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I just use handfuls until it is the amount I think looks good)
less than 1/4 cup whole milk
Fresh ground salt and pepper

Let the hashbrown defrost to a point where they are easy to break up.
Combine the sour cream & cream of mushroom soup. Add the onions, some of the cheese, you want some to put on top, the butter, salt and pepper and the splash of milk. Stir up and add the potatoes until well combined. Bake at 350 for at least 1 hour, but I usually let mine go another 10-15 after that. If they are cold you will need more baking time. ENJOY!!!



Chocolate Torte

1 C. Chocolate Chips
7 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
¼ C. Butter
1 C. Sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tarter
Whip Cream
*Milk Chocolate Candy bar (optional)

Melt Chocolate chips with butter, stir until smooth. Let cool. Separate eggs. Whip egg whites with cream of tarter until stiff. Whip in ¼ C. sugar one tablespoon at a time. Move to separate bowl. Beat egg yolks with remaining ¾ C. Sugar for 2 or 3 minutes until lemon colored. Add vanilla. Stir together with cooled melted chocolate. Fold chocolate, mix with egg whites (just barely blend) Bake ¾ of mousse in Springform pan at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Place remaining mousse in fridge. Take out of oven and let cool. The center of torte will fall and edges stay high, to form a troff. Pour mousse into the cooled torte. Put in freezer for 3-4 hours or overnight. Ice with whipped cream. (Option: pipe edges with whip cream. Using a carrot peeler shave the chocolate bar and sprinkle shavings on top.)

Thanksgiving Pics II

Thanksgiving Pics I