Grilled Peaches with Balsamic Glaze

Grilled Peaches with Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients:

2 fresh peaches, halved and pitted but not peeled

3 tablespoons white sugar

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

crumbled bleu cheese

Procedure:

1.  In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, balsamic vinegar, and pepper.  Simmer until liquid has reduced by 1/2; it should become somewhat thicker.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2.  Place cut sides of peaches down on lightly-oiled grill surface.  Cook for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat or until flesh is caramalized.  Turn peaches, brushing the cooked surface lightly with the balsamic glaze, and cook curved surfaces for another 2 - 3 minutes.

3.  Remove peaches from grill; peel should slip off easily at this point.  Place on serving dishes, drizzle more of the balsamic glaze over them, and sprinkle liberally with crumbled bleu cheese.

Black Bean and Smoked Sausage Soup with Peppers

This is another good soup for

lunch on frosty winter days.

* * *

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 lb. of smoked sausage (either beef or pork)

2 14.5 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped white onion

2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 to 1 red (or green) bell pepper, finely chopped

3 Hatch peppers, grilled, peeled, seeded, and

chopped into small pieces

1 cup beef stock

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried, crushed oregano

Sour cream

Italian parsley

Procedure:

1. Cut sausage into bite-size pieces and fry in skillet

over medium heat until it browns a bit; remove from

skillet and set aside.

2. Sauté onion and garlic in skillet with sausage

drippings for 5 minutes; remove from pan and set aside.

3. Place beans, sausage, onions, garlic, bell pepper,

Hatch peppers, beef stock, water, salt, and oregano

in covered 3 qt. pan and heat to boiling; remove lid

and lower temperature, simmering until soup thickens

to desired consistency.

4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling

of freshly-chopped Italian parsley.

NOTES:

1. The Hatch peppers I used were rather spicy, so I

didn't need to add any other seasoning but salt. You

could use other types of peppers (serranos, for instance)

or season with cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce.

Or you can make a milder version without hot seasoning,

substituting regular pepper, thyme, oregano, or other

spices to taste.

2. I imagine one could use turkey sausage instead of

pork or beef; it's better, I think, to have a smoked variety

as that enhances the flavor of the soup.

3. Chicken or vegetable stock can be used instead of

the beef stock if desired, or one can replace it altogether

with water, although I think the stock helps give the soup

a richer flavor.

4. Afterthought: It's just occurred to me that one could

easily substitute one can or whole kernel corn for one

of the cans of black beans for an even more Southwestern

kind of soup.

Corn and Bacon Chowder

(Whoops! I accidently let a whole year slip by without updating

here; I hope to do better starting now with a recipe that I came

up with by combining a couple of different ones and adding a

twist or two of my own. Enjoy.)

Ingredients:

8 - 12 bacon strips

1 cup chopped white onion

2 medium potatoes

1/2 - 1 minced red bell pepper (Optional)

2 14.5 oz. cans whole kernel yellow corn

2 cups of whole milk (+ about 1/2 cup for mashing potatoes)

1 cup heavy cream

6 - 8 ozs. shredded cheddar cheese

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Peel and microwave the potatoes; mash, mixing with

enough milk to make them smooth. Set aside.

2. Cook bacon in frying pan over medium heat; remove

when crisp, drain on paper towels, then crumble. Pour off

about half of bacon fat.

3. While bacon is frying, add corn, milk and heavy cream

to a large saucepan.

4. Sauté onion and red pepper in remaining bacon fat until

tender. Transfer to saucepan.

5. Heat saucepan contents to simmering, stirring in bacon

and cheese; add salt. Stir in enough mashed potatoes to

begin to thicken the mixture. Let pan simmer without boiling

for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chowder

thickens the desired amount.

6. Remove from heat and serve.

NOTES:

1. Instead of whole milk and heavy cream, 2% milk and

half-and-half can be substituted.

2. The amount of mashed potatoes will vary; just use

what seems best to you for the thickness you'd like.

3. Pepper can also be used, although personally I

don't use it in this recipe. Also, if you want a somewhat

spicier chowder, you can easily add some hot paprika,

cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes; I'll most likely

use one of those the next time I make this chowder.

4. This chowder keeps well in the refrigerator.

Potato, Leek, and Red Bell Pepper Soup

This is a great soup for cold, rainy fall lunches; it goes

well with some crusty toasted herb bread with butter.

Ingredients:

4 large leeks, leafy section and roots removed, cut into 1/4" thick disks

1 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart vegetable stock

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika

3 - 4 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream

For garnish:

1 - 2 tablespoons of sour cream

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

Directions:

1. Sautée lightly leeks in butter in frying pan over medium heat; remove and put aside;

sautée garlic lightly and remove; repeat with red bell pepper.

2. In large 4 - 5 quart soup pot, mix leeks, garlic, bell pepper, potatoes, vegetable stock,

salt, pepper, and paprika; heat on medium high to boiling, then lower to simmer, cover,

and cook for 45 - 50 minutes or until potatoes are done, and remove from heat.

3. Use immersion blender or food processor to purée mixture until smooth.

4. Add cream and stir; adjust seasonings to taste.

5. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, a tablespoon of chopped Italian parsley,

and a sprinkle of smoked sweet paprika.

NOTES:

1. Olive oil or peanut oil can be used for the sautéeing instead of butter.

2. chicken stock should work for this as well as the vegetable stock.

3. Instead of the hot paprika, hot pepper flakes or cayenne pepper can be

used instead, as can various forms of hot sauce. It also occurred to be

after preparing the soup that harissa-- employed with judicious restraint --

could very well work, also (that's what I'm going to try next time, in fact).

4. This soup can also be served cold, I would think (at least, other versions

of leek and potato soup can be, so I imagine this one could, too); it does keep

well for several days in the refrigerator.

Mushroom, Cauliflower, Black Olive & Cheese Casserole

(Adapted with significant changes from recipe in Easy Vegetarian,

published by LOVE FOOD, imprint of Parragon Books Ltd., 2009)

This can be either a lacto-vegetarian main dish or a side dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 lb. fresh white mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces

5 - 6 oz. canned sliced black olives, drained

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried parsley

3/4 tsp. hot paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp. bread crumbs

3 - 4 tbsp. butter

1. Heat large saucepan of water to boiling; add cauliflower, cover

and bring to boil again; cook cauliflower for 3 minutes; remove

from heat, drain, and set aside.

2. Melt 2 - 3 tbsp. butter in large frying pan on medium heat; sautée

mushrooms lightly; remove from heat.

3. Mix cauliflower, mushrooms, and olives in large bowl; stir in

oregano, parsley, paprika, and salt and mix thoroughly.

4. Place mixture in 9" deep dish pie pan or baking dish; top with

cheese and bread crumbs; dot top with 1 broken up tbsp. of butter.

5. Preheat oven to 450; bake casserole 15 minutes or until cheese

melts and begins to brown. Remove, cool for 10 minutes, and serve.

NOTES:

1. You can use fewer or more olives depending on taste, or omit them

completely; they weren't in the original recipe, but I found they added

an additional layer of taste to the dish.

2. I sometimes add a tablespoon or so of Worchestershire sauce to

mushrooms when I sautée them.

3. Any kind of shredded cheese can be used; I'm planning on trying

Gruyere a little later; cheddar should work quite well, too. Or you can

go with the original recipe and use grated parmesan, instead; you'll

have to play with the amount if you use a grated cheese, though.

4. The paprika was another addition I made, as I found the original

a little on the bland side. You can omit it altogether, or try other hot

spices such as red pepper flakes or ground cayenne, or sweet

paprika is you prefer. The exact amount can also vary with taste

(I used 1.5 tsp. of hot paprika once before and found that was a bit

too hot for my taste).

5. Upon further reflection, I've decided that the bread crumbs add

little or nothing to this dish, so I'll probably be omitting them in the

future. Consider them optional.

Aubergines Parmigiana

Adapted from Simple Mediterranean Cookery by Claudia Roden,

BBC Books, 2003.

A simple, relative quick Italian baked eggplant dish that's excellent.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, sliced into 8 1/2" thick disks

1 & 1/2 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and a

bit more for brushing eggplant slices

1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh dill, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 cup shredded parmesan

fresh mozzarella

Salt to taste

Procedure:

Lightly brush eggplant disks with olive oil and salt lightly;

place on tray under broiler for several minutes until slices

are light golden; turn and repeat. Remove from oven.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in saucepan and sauté

garlic for one minute; stir in diced tomatoes and herbs,

adding salt to taste; simmer for 5 - 6 minutes to allow

tastes to mingle, then remove from heat.

In a lightly greased baking dish, place 4 of the eggplant

disks, cover with half the tomatoes and half of the parmesan

cheese; add remaining eggplant, tomatoes, and parmesan,

then place two or three small wedges of fresh mozzarella

on each of the four stacks. Cook in preheated 350 degree

oven for 40 minutes. Remove and serve. Serves 4.

Notes:

1. You can use any fresh (or dried) herbs you choose;

dill and cilantro are my first choices, others including

basil and Italian parsley will work just as well.

2. You can use either more of less parmesan, according

to taste.

3. As in other eggplant recipes, graffiti eggplants are my

eggplant of choice, but other varieties should work just as

well.

4. This is another dish that carries over well in the refrigerator.

Rice and Eggplant Timbale with Tomato and Basil Sauce

Adapted from Mediterranean Vegetarian Cooking by Paola Gavin,

M. Evans and Company, Inc., 2005.

This is a delicious vegetarian recipe from Sicily. As it is a bit labor-intensive,

I'm dividing the instructions into 3 sections for convenience. There are also

a couple of shortcuts in the "Notes" which follow.

I. The Tomato and Basil Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

7 - 8 Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan; cook garlic over medium

heat until it begins to turn golden. Add tomatoes and cook for

about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce begins to

thicken. Add basil and salt and simmer for 1 -2 more minutes

stirring to thoroughly mix basil into sauce. Remove from heat

and set aside until needed.

II. Prepare the Rice

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 - 1 cup white onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups vegetable broth, heated to boiling

Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan; add the onion and

cook over medium heat until it's translucent. Stir in rice and cook

for about 1 minute,stirring to make certain each grain is coated

with the oil/butter mixture. Add one cup of boiling stock and stir

continuously until it is absorbed by the rice (approximately 10

minutes); repeat with second cup of boiling stock, and again with

third cup. Rice should be tender and thoroughly cooked by this

time (approximately 30 - 35 minutes). Remove from heat and set

aside until needed.

III. Preparing the Eggplant and the Final Dish

1 large eggplant

Salt as needed

2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup grated pecorino cheese

Cut ends from eggplant and slice into 10 - 12 1/4 inch

thick disks; sprinkle well with salt and place in a colander

for one hour to remove bitter juices. Wash thoroughly to

remove salt and juices and pat dry. Heat oil in frying pan

and cook eggplant until disks are lightly golden on each

side (adding more oil if needed). Drain on paper towels.

In a baking dish, arrange a layer of eggplant; spoon a layer

of prepared rice, a layer of tomato-basil sauce, and sprinkle

on a layer of the grated cheese. Repeat., ending with a layer

of cheese on top. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for

25 - 30 minutes until the top is golden and the sauce bubbling.

Serves four.

NOTES:

1. I suspect one could use a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes

rather than preparing them by hand; I'd recommend Muir Glen

fire-roasted diced Tomatoes, but I suspect anything similar will

work. The amount of basil will probably have to be worked out

to suit individual tastes by trial and error; the actual recipe just

called for "a handful." I actually made this sauce a day ahead;

I think the flavors melded better than they might have otherwise

by spending the night together in the refrigerator.

2. In preparing the rice, any sort of broth will do, of course. What's

especially important is that the stirring be continued throughout,

stopping only for one minute or so at a time during the process.

3. I used what has become my favorite type of eggplant, the

graffiti aubergine, but the regular type will work just as well.

4. I happened to have a 7" x 7" x 3" baking dish that worked perfectly

for this recipe, providing 3 layers. If a larger dish is used, probably

the available ingredients will make no more than 2 layers, and the

baking time may need to be shortened a bit in consequence.

5. This dish holds over very well in the refrigerator for a couple of

days.