Chilled Minted Spring Pea Soup

Oh, the joys of spring – this is one of them! Serves 6

Chilled Minted Spring Pea Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 3 Tbsp. butter
  2. 1 small onion, chopped
  3. 1 small leek, chopped
  4. 1 celery stalk, chopped
  5. 1 garlic clove, minced
  6. 3 cups petite peas, fresh or frozen
  7. 4 cups chicken stock
  8. 1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped mint
  9. 3/4 cup light cream
  10. salt and pepper to taste
  11. 6 sprigs mint
Instructions
  1. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion,leek and celery and saute until softened. Do not brown. Add garlic and gently saute for 2 minutes.
  2. Add peas, chicken stock and mint to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until peas are tender. In blender, puree soup in small batches. Strain through sieve.
  3. Stir in cream and chill. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in cold soup plates and garnish with mint.
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Committee Salad

We all worked on it and we all love it

Committee Salad
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Ingredients
Dressing
  1. 1/2 cup oil 125ml
  2. 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 45ml
  3. 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 15ml
  4. 2 tsp. sugar 10ml
  5. 1/2 tsp. salt 2ml
  6. 1/2 tsp. dry mustard 2ml
  7. 1 garlic clove, crushed
Salad
  1. 2 Tbsp. butter 30ml
  2. 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, shelled 125ml
  3. 1/2 cup slivered almonds 125ml
  4. 1 head leaf lettuce
  5. 2 green onions, finely chopped
  6. 2 mandarin oranges, peeled or
  7. 1-10 oz.can mandarin oranges, drained
  8. 284ml
  9. 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
Instructions
  1. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar, shake to blend. Heat butter in frying pan and saute’ sunflower seeds and almonds until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Prepare remaining ingredients. Add cooled seeds and almonds. Toss with dressing just before serving serves 8 to 10
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Pasta with Tomato Salsa and Feta

Serves 6. This is the perfect quick dinner for after work.

Pasta with Tomato Salsa and Feta
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Ingredients
  1. 6 fresh tomatoes
  2. 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shave into ribbons
  3. 2 cups torn fresh spinach
  4. 1 garlic clove, minced
  5. 1/3 cup olive oil
  6. 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  7. freshly ground pepper to taste
  8. 1 lb. (500g) penne
  9. 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  10. 3 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
  11. 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Cut an “X” through skin at bottom of each tomato. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. Plunge in cold water and peel off skin with sharp knife. Cut in half and remove seeds. Coarsely chop and set aside in a bowl.
  2. Add Parmesan, spinach, garlic, oil, basil and pepper to tomatoes.
  3. Cook penne in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and toss with tomato mixture. Top with feta and pine nuts and sprinkle with parsley.
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Important stuff my kids have taught me: If you’re gonna draw on the wall, do it behind the couch.

Chocolate Roll with Two Sauces

mmmmmm……..

Chocolate Roll with Two Sauces
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Ingredients
Roll
  1. 5 eggs
  2. 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar 2 mL
  3. 1 cup sugar (divided) 250 mL
  4. 1/4 cup flour 60 mL
  5. 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder 45 mL
  6. 1 tsp. vanilla 5 mL
  7. 2 cups whipping cream, whipped 500 mL
  8. icing sugar
Foamy Butter Sauce
  1. 1/2 cup butter 125 mL
  2. 1 egg
  3. 1 cup icing sugar 250 mL
Fudge Sauce
  1. 1 Tbsp. butter 15 mL
  2. 1 square unsweetened chocolate 30 g
  3. 1/3 cup boiling water 75 mL
  4. 1 cup sugar 250 mL
  5. 2 Tbsp. corn syrup 30 mL
  6. 1/2 tsp. vanilla 2 mL
Instructions
  1. Roll: Separate the eggs. Beat whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar. Set aside. Sift together remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar, flour and cocoa powder. Beat yolks until thick. Fold flour mixture into yolks and add vanilla. This will be very stiff. Carefully fold yolk mixture into beaten whites. Preheat oven to 325 F (160 deg.C). Line a 10″ x 15″ (25 x 38 cm) edged cookie sheet with waxed paper, leaving an overlapping edge. Grease and flour paper. Spread batter evenly on paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Place on a rack and cool for 5 minutes. Place a clean tea towel on counter, generously sprinkle with icing sugar and turn cake onto towel. Carefully peel waxed paper off the top. Cut off any dried edges. Roll up cake and towel together, beginning at short end. Cool completely – no more than a half an hour. Unwrap roll and spread whipped cream over surface. Roll up cake again but this time – leave out the towel! Sprinkle with icing sugar. Serve with fudge sauce or foamy butter sauce.
  2. Serves 8.
Foamy Butter Sauce
  1. Combine all ingredients in top of double boiler. Cook, stirring, until it forms a smooth sauce. Serve warm over chocolate roll.
Fudge Sauce
  1. Melt butter and chocolate in medium saucepan. Add boiling water and bring to a boil. Add sugar and syrup. Bring to boil again and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Serve just warm over chocolate roll.
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Pomegranate and Feta Salad

Take this fabulous salad to your next potluck – but bring an extra copy of the recipe (or better yet – a book!) Break the pomegranate apart and pop the seeds out by hand. Wear an apron – the juice stains!

Pomegranate and Feta Salad
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Ingredients
  1. 1 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn
  2. 1 bunch spinach, stems removed, washed and torn
  3. seeds of 1 pomegranate (use dried cranberries if pomegranates are not available)
  4. 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  5. 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing
  1. 1/3 cup olive oil
  2. 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  3. 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  4. 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  5. 1/2 tsp. oregano
  6. salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Toss lettuce and spinach together in a large salad bowl. Add pomagranate seeds, pine nuts and feta.
  2. Whisk dressing ingredients together and store in refrigerator. Toss with salad ingredients just before serving.
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If it’s true that we are here to help each other, then what exactly are the OTHERS here for?

Whipped Shortbread

These melt in your mouth! The secret is in the beating.

Whipped Shortbread
Whipped Shortbread
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup butter (do not use margarine)
  2. 1/2 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
  3. 1 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and beat for 10 minutes. Drop from small spoon onto cookie sheet. Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces if you wish. Bake at 350 F. for about 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. makes about 3 dozen small cookies.
  2. This recipe doubles well.
Notes
  1. Book Reference – The Best of the Best – Vol. 1 (Page: 242), The Best of Bridge (Page: 146)
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Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken

A delicious and colorful stir-fry. Serve over rice on a large platter or take the wok right to the table.

Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken
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Ingredients
  1. Sauce
  2. 1/2 cup ketchup
  3. 4 tsp. soy sauce
  4. 1/2 tsp. salt
  5. 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  6. 3 Tbsp. sugar
  7. 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
  8. 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  9. 1/2 cup chicken broth
  10. The Rest
  11. 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  12. 1/2 tsp. sugar
  13. 1/4 tsp. salt
  14. 3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  15. 1/4 cup oil
  16. 2-3 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
  17. 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  18. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  19. 2 red peppers, cut in strips
  20. 2 carrots, thinly sliced on diagonal
  21. 2 cups snow peas
  22. 1 1/2 cups cashews
  23. sprinkling of sesame seeds, toasted
Instructions
  1. Combine sauce ingredients and set aside. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add chicken and toss. Heat wok or frying pan to highest heat. Add oil. Heat to hot, not smoking. Add chicken, ginger, garlic and onion. Stir until chicken is opaque (about 1 minute). Add peppers and carrots. Stir 2-3 minutes. Add peas and sauce. Cook until sauce comes to a boil. Add cashews and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Instructions
  1. Combine sauce ingredients and set aside. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add chicken and toss. Heat wok or frying pan to highest heat. Add oil. Heat to hot, not smoking. Add chicken, ginger, garlic and onion. Stir until chicken is opaque (about 1 minute). Add peppers and carrots. Stir 2-3 minutes. Add peas and sauce. Cook until sauce comes to a boil. Add cashews and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
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tact is the ability not to say what you really think.

Curried Apple and Sweet Potato Pilaf

This is a great accompaniment for ham. Serves 4-5.

Curried Apple and Sweet Potato Pilaf
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Ingredients
  1. 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) olive oil
  2. 1/2 cup 9125 mL) chopped green onions
  3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  4. 1 cup (250 mL) uncooked long-grain rice
  5. 2 cups (500 mL) water
  6. 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) peeled & diced sweet potato
  7. 2 cups (500 mL) peeled & cubed Granny Smith apples
  8. 1/2 cup (125 mL) frozen green peas
  9. 1/4 cup (60 mL) currants
  10. 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) curry powder
  11. 1/2 tsp. (2 mL) cumin
  12. 1/4 tsp. (1 mL) salt
  13. pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; saute 1 minute. Stir in rice and saute 1 minute. Add water and sweet potato; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, or until liquid is almost absorbed. Stir in apple, peas, currants and seasonings. Cover and simmer 3 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.
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