Greens + Ham Soup

European Greens and Ham Soup

Love greens:  kale, swiss chard, collard & mustard greens.  Normally when I prepare collard and mustard greens I make them with a southern flare.  This time I wanted soup with a European flair.  As I was sauteing my ham and onions I thought about all my French cookbooks that include egg in their soup.  Egg gives soup a depth so deep with not much effort.  I adore these type of soups.  I decided this would be the flare I'd give my greens.  I used the pressure cooker however this is easily done on the stove top in a dutch over/soup pot.

Greens + Ham Soup

1 lb ham steak
1 lg. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt + pepper to taste
3 lbs greens, finely chopped
32oz chicken stock/broth
48oz water
3 eggs, whisk
parmesean

In soup pot saute ham, upon caramelizing add onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Saute 5 additional minutes.  Add greens mix well.  Saute 10 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes.  Add chicken stock and water.  At this point if your using a pressure cooker let it reach its peak for 3 minutes.  Turn flame off and allow steam to naturally release for 15-20 minutes.  Release pressure.  Let soup cool for 10 minutes.  Add a ladle of soup to the whisked eggs, stir...repeat this 4 times.  Add egg mixture to soup.  Stir.
Ladle soup in bowl, topped with shaved Parmesan and homemade croutons.
Makes 4 32oz containers.   Soup freezes well. 

Ezekiel Bread Croutons
Homemade Croutons

Cube up bread
Toss in EVOO with minced garlic, salt and pepper.  Toast in 400F oven till crispy, 5-6 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup



Chicken Noodle Soup

 It's a soup kinda weather.  Made 3 (chicken noodle, broccoli cheese and greens + ham) this week and I promise to share all recipes with you. 
Last week I kept my baby girl home all week, she had strep.  She's much better now.  Even sick she was still in a sweet mood.  Monday night after I tucked her in she said, "thank you for taking care of me and making me soup"...she's 5, my heart melted.  Kissy kissy.  Here is what I made her on Monday morning.

Pressure Cooked Chicken Noodle Soup

2 lbs of bone in chicken (quarters or thighs)
5 quarts of water
1 organic celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sage
Salt + pepper to taste
2 organic carrots, sliced
8 asparagus stalks, cut in one inch pcs
8oz of egg noodles
handful of chopped parsley
squeeze of lemon

Pressure Cooker Instructions:
Add first 7 ingredients pressure cook at peak for 18 minutes, release pressure.  Remove chicken and de-bone, discard skin.  Add chicken and the next 3 ingredients, once pressure cooker is at it's peak turn burner off...leave alone for 6 minutes...release pressure and add parsley.  Season to taste.

Stove Top or Slow Cooker Instructions:
Add all ingredients except noodles.  Cook till chicken is done.  Remove chicken and de-bone, discard skin.  Add chicken and noodles, cook till noodles are soft.  Season to taste.

Pressure cooking in my opinion does yield the best broth and flavor.  I so love my Fagor Futuro pressure cooker.  I use it 4-6 times a week, this week alone I made:  Salsa, Chicken Noodle Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Marinara, 2 whole chickens for Chicken Pot Pie order...the week before gumbo.  So happy with the investment, the thrill is contagious.  Since I purchased my pressure cooker 2 of sisters have too, plus a few foodie friends...I've lost count but all report kitchen success.  May your meals always be ...intentionally delightful.

Ginger Tea

Feel a bit under the weather?  Maybe a cold?  Maybe the flu?  Want some quick natural relief? 

A couple years ago a dear friend of mine was going thru some personal and professional life trials.  We would talk on the phone several times a day and we'd see each other 4-5 times a week.  I did my best to support her, she's been like a sister to me.  During this time period every evening when I went over, to her home, she would have slices of fresh ginger slowly simmering in a pot of water.  We'd share a couple cups of ginger tea and I'd dry her little tears each evening.   Time passes and the good prevails.  Her life has bounced back and the sadness is only a faint memory. 

Now the ginger tea?  Unforgettable!  Fresh and spicy.  Not your normal dried tea (which I adore).  I longed for this tea.

Last winter I could not shake a cold and I thought about my friend...remembering that during a time that she would be the most vulnerable to catching and keeping a cold during such a trying period, she never once was ill.  I called her and shared my recollection...she said that a mutual friend of ours had shared how he drinks ginger tea quite often, it helps boost his immune system.  That sentence alone rung a bell...in 2006 I took 9 weeks of Indian Cooking Classes and remembered how the instructor went over all the benefits of each of the Indian spices.  From this point on when I feel super miserable, much like I did right after returning from New Mexico during Christmas, I have ginger tea.  I drank it for two days straight, each day I boiled & simmered a fresh pot, then poured it in my zojirushi thermal carafe...loved it.  I always have ginger on hand, I store it in the freezer...it's amazing how well it keeps, very fragrant and fresh.  Freezing makes it easier to cut up for recipes as well.



Ginger Tea



Homemade Ginger Tea

2 x 1 inches of ginger (wash well, no need to peel)
5 quarts water

Slice ginger into 8-10 pieces add to water.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 
This recipe is made to my taste, you can make a strong tea by adding more ginger or less water. 

Enjoy.  Wishing you great health.

"To Sir With Love"

An old love letter...

Good bye 2011 I am grateful for the lessons learned. 
My motto for 2012 is "To Sir With Love"...I love the song, I love the movie & I will use the phrase as a professional/personal motto. 
Sir = my clients + my followers + my family + my friends.

In 2012

• I will adopt a gluten free lifestyle...gluten makes me sleepy & lethargic 
• I will enjoy a daily afternoon tea...a moment to slow down & be grateful
• I will write love letters to my husband...the best way to remind him 'I wouldn't trade you for a new kitchen' even though I've thought about it
• I will go to the Y 5 days a week...physical activity will be a priority, it makes me happy
• I will eat smaller portions...same delicious food (gluten free) just smaller portions
• I will hold my 5 year old daughter more...may she never think she's 'too big or too old' to be held
• I will seek out a catering mentor
• I will patent an idea/kitchen item I've had in mind for years that will make every households life a bit easier in the kitchen
• I will seek out resources to make this patent a reality
• I will attend a "Make Mine A Million $ Business" this year...a entrepreneur women's conference.  Want to come?
• I will blog twice a month
• I will complete by cookbook by March 2013

These goals are attainable and I will keep a reminder in my Franklin, in my kitchen & at my bedside table.
Wishing you a healthy, prosperous and joyous 2012!

Texas State VEGGIE Fair

Our local neighborhood newspaper White Rock Lake Weekly hired me to write an article for an upcoming event.  So enjoyed freelancing!  Click to see the printed version & read on for the unedited version.

Scheduled Events

“’A Texas Veggie State Fair’, all vegan…humm?” That’s exactly what I thought too. For a couple of months I have been anticipating the arrival of this event…it finally arrived.


As I walked up the hill top to Winfrey Point the familiar fair smell of fried food was floating in the air, live music was making its way and faint giggling, laughing and chatting were competing for attention.

The fried food vendors were definitely the most popular, seemed like everyone was ordering a vegan corn dog + fried pickles.  Lines were over an hour wait.  The vendors lacked commercial equipment that may have help keep up with the demand; however, the home style outdoor kitchen is what made it super attractive and personal.  By 3:30pm a few vendors had closed posting a ‘sold out’ sign.  This was the 2^nd Annual Texas Veggie State Fair hosted by Dallas Vegan and the turn out according to Christina, a vegetarian chef, was “completely unexpected, we’re so happy to see veggie passion people”. 

Looks so delicious...Vegan Corndog!

The humidity was thick the sun was strong, I made my way to the indoor vendors for some air conditioned relief. To my sweet surprise a “Raw Dessert” (Famous 5 minute Blondies) cooking class was just about to begin. Chef Amber Shea, blogger and new author, http://www.almostveganchef.com/, would be conducting the class. The metal chairs were nice and cold, very comfy. I looked around and it was nice to see beautiful people of all shapes, size and color, I’m not a vegetarian (I do subscribe to the monthly magazine Vegetarian) but in my mind all vegans and vegetarians are thin…and thin I’m not, so I was happy to see an array of lovely figures...some vegetarian some not.

Shhhh class is about to begin.

Bravo! Bravo! Excellent presentation, plus the results…delicious!

I loved that the recipe was gluten free. Inspired, I wanted to challenge my skill by creating my own ‘raw dessert’. Here is my version of raw Pecan Pie.

Raw Pecan Bites

Raw Pecan Pie Bites by Honey Girl Kitchen, Darlene Rosen

Yields: 24 small bites

2 cups of pecans

1/4 cup turbanado sugar

2 t vanilla

1/8 t sea salt

1 cup pitted dates

Directions:

Combine the pecans and sugar in a food processor and pulse till coarsely ground, over pulsing will release too much oil and produce a butter paste. Add the vanilla and salt, pulse until well combined. Add 3 dates at a time, pulse and repeat with remaining dates.

Spoon the mixture evenly into 24 petite cupcake molds. Press the air out of the mixture, with a small flexible spatula or the back of a spoon. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. These bites should be stored in the refrigerated or freezer.

Looking forward to the 3rd Annual Texas State Veggie Fair, I will return.

November Seasonal Veggies & Fruit

Apples

Artichokes

Arugula

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celeriac

Celery

Clementines

Cranberries

Dates

Endive

Figs

Garlic

Kale

Leeks

Lettuce

Onions

Parsnips

Pears

Peppers

Persimmons

Potatoes

Pumpkins

Radishes

Rutabaga

Squash

Sweet Potato

Swiss Chard

Turnips

Watercress

October Seasonal Fruit + Veggies

Figs Cut Open

I love Figs!  I picked up a pint of organic black figs this week and ate them all by myself, I wanted to share but Bebe and my husband both declined...I didn't push the issue.  I thought about how I'd prepare them...once home I ate them all by their little selves...no cheese, no pastry just organic.  During fig season I so desire my New Mexico home life.  At the Ranch, my Mom planted a fig tree over 35 years ago, it is so beautiful.  The fruit is so sweet and tender.  One little annoyance is that we are in constant competition with all the little birds that love figs as much as we do.

October Seasonal Fruits + Veggies

Apples

Beets

Blackberries

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Chicory

Cranberries

Dates

Figs

Grapes

Leeks

Lettuce

Okra

Oranges

Parsnips

Pears (late season)

Peppers

Pumpkins

Quince

Shallots

Star fruit

Sweet Potatoes

Turnips

Watercress

Winter squash

Figs