Walnut Pasta Salad
January 22, 2012
California Walnut Pasta Salad. Great as side dish with chicken or ham or as a vegetarian entree. Serves 6.
- 3 C Rotelle uncooked (cook as per package directions)
- 1/2 C Golden Raisins (soak in hot water 5 minutes, drain)
- 3/4 C chopped walnuts (toast 350° for 8 mins)
- 5 TBs olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 1/2 C chopped spinach
In large stainless pan, Heat olive oil & cook garlic 1 minute. Add spinach, cook 3 mins to wilt spinach.
- 1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper
- 1/2 C sun dried julienned tomatoes in oil (drained)
Mix, toss all ingredients together.
Soupe au Pistou
January 22, 2012
From Sunset 1998, made after Thanksgiving. 12-14 servings, use a BIG stainless pot.
Cut into 1/2 inch cubes first four (4) items
- 1 lb butternut squash
- 2 carrots (6 ounces)
- 1 red potato (5 oz)
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 onion (8 oz) chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 14 Cups chicken broth
Boil broth, and above ingredients, for 10 minutes.
- 1/2 lb zucchini cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 red pepper cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 TBs fresh chopped Basil
- 5 cans (15 oz) Cannellini beans, drained, rinsed.
Add above ingredients to broth, cover, simmer 20 minutes.
- 1/4 cup pistou (pesto)
Stir pistou into finished soup.
PISTOU
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 1/2 C fresh basil leaves
- 2/3 C Olive oil
- 2/3 C grated parmesan cheese
or
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 C fresh basil leaves
- ½ C oil
- ¼ C parmesan
Puree above ingredients, add some to each bowl.
Potato & Leek Soup
January 22, 2012
Yields 4 servings, 40 minutes cook time.
- 3 Tbs unsalted butter
- 4 med sized Yukon Gold potatoes scrubbed, peeled (optional). Cut into chunks.
- 4 leeks washed & chopped (remove green leaves)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Melt butter, stir in potatoes & leeks & white pepper, cook over medium heat, stir occasionally until leeks are soft.
- 5 Cups chicken broth
Add broth, simmer uncovered until potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes (depending on size of chunks). Remove from heat, use hand blender to puree. Taste and adjust salt & pepper.
Butternut Squash Soup
January 22, 2012
Modified from BonAppetite/Epicurious, 30 Min cooking time, serves 8.
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves minced.
Melt butter and saute onion & garlic 10 minutes (do not brown).
- 3 lbs butternut squash chopped into 1 ” cubes (or mix half buternut and half acorn squash)
- 1 dark flesh sweet potato or jewel yam – chopped 1″ cubes
- 1/4 tsp each of fresh Thyme and Sage minced.
- 5 1/2 -6 cups chicken broth.
Add squash, herbs & broth to sauteed onions, bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook covered for 20 minutes.
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 2 tsp Sugar
Remove from heat, puree with hand held blender. Add whipping cream & sugar.
Split Pea Soup
January 4, 2012
This takes about 2 hours to cook. For every 2 cups of dry peas use 2 cups water (or chicken broth). You can add bacon or ham bone to the soup. Makes 4-6 servings.
- 6 slices bacon, chopped 2″ long (or add a pinch smoked paprika for smokey flavor)
- 1 1/2 large onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 Cups chicken broth
- 1 3/4 cups dry split peas
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary or sprig of fresh
- Salt & pepper to taste
Saute bacon in pan and save grease (optional) or if not using bacon: add some oil and saute onion, carrot and garlic until soften (about 6 minutes). Add broth, peas and rosemary, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Remove lid for last 1/2 hour while simmering. When soup has reached desired consistency, add salt & pepper. You can use hand blender to puree soup a bit.
Jansson’s Janson’s Frestelse
January 2, 2012
Holidays in our house mean it’s time for “Jansson’s temptation”. Enjoy! (note, 2 recipes listed here)
svgs 4-6
Preheat oven 350°F
- 7 medium boiling potatoes (ex: Yukon Gold), peeled, cut into 2-inch strips 1/4″ thin. Put into cold water to keep from discoloring.
- 2 onions, thinly sliced, sautéed in 2 TB butter 10 minutes until soft. Do not brown.
- 1 can/flat anchovy-style sprats fillets (herring), drained. Save the juice.
- white pepper to taste.
- 2 TB bread crumbs (preferably Panko).
- 2 TB butter, not melted.
- 1 C heavy cream, whipping cream or half-and-half.
- 5 large potatoes – peel, slice into narrow fries
- 1 med onion – slice thin
- 2 cans Swedish anchovy sil
- 1 C whipped cream
- butter
- 4 TB soy sauce
- bread crumbs
- Saute sliced onion in butter, add soy sauce and remove from heat to cool.
- Put half of sliced potatoes into bottom of buttered baking dish. Add all of onions, anchovies, top with rest of potatoes plus juice from cans of anchovies.
- Top with dabs of butter, add half of cream.
- Bake 350° for 20 minutes then add remainder of cream. Continue baking uncovered until golden brown 20-25 minutes more)
Swedish Cucumber Salad
January 1, 2012
Traditionally served with salmon, meatballs, potatoes, either for special occasions like a Julbord, or in everyday smorgåsbords.
- 3 large English cucumbers (1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 TB salt
- 1/2 cup white vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 2 TB sugar
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 2 TB chopped fresh dill
Directions:
Slice cucumbers using a 1 mm slicing disc on food processor or slicing blade of cheese slicer. Sprinkle salt over slices, press with plate to remove excess moisture (about 1 or 2 hrs). Drain off liquid, pat cucumbers dry. Mix vinegar, sugar, white pepper and pour over cucumbers, sprinkle with chopped dill (you may add more sugar if you want it sweeter). Refrigerate for 2 hours, pour off liquid and serve!
Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie
January 1, 2012
Let’s start with dessert, why not? And a decadent dessert at that. This is a Tyler Florence recipe from FoodNetwork, “Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie.”
Ingredients bake at 350 (or hotter up to 380), 45 minutes
Pie Pastry (basic but with a twist: add ground pecans) chill 30 minutes
- 1 Cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 C ground pecans
- 1 T sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- 2 TB ice water (plus more if needed)
Filling
- 1/4 Cup (1/2) stick unsalted butter
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Cup sugar
- 3/4 Cup Dark corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 TB bourbon (Maker’s Mark used)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Cups pecan halves/pieces.
Directions
Pastry: Combine dry ingredients: flour,pecans,sugar,salt – then add the butter, mix with hands or pastry blender until mixture is like crumbs. Add ice water, work to bind the dough until it holds together but not too wet or sticky. Squeeze together, if too crumbly add more ice water, 1 TB at atime. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out dough into 12 ” circle. Lay in a 9″ pan. Press dough into pan so it fits tight, trim excess around rim.Place pie pan on cookie sheet.
Filling: Melt butter & Chocolate in saucepan on med-low, remove from heat and let cool. Beat eggs until frothym then add sugar. Stir in syrup, vanilla, bourbon,salt and then the chocolate/butter mixture.
Arrange pecans on bottom of pie crust, pour egg mixture over. Bake until filling is set and puffed, about 45 minutes (or longer) Test for doneness – stick in thin knife, if pretty clean, it’s done.
Olsson Recipes 