SANDRA'S SAVORY CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP

OMGoodness!! My favorite soup creation to date!

A culmination of ingredients I had on hand today,

and usually do most days,

so I'll be able to remake this delectable delight quite often...

Prep: 15 Mins.

Cook: 30 Mins.

Servings: (4)

INGREDIENTS

1 slice center-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces (or 1 TB olive oil)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 cup sliced celery

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (15-oz can) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix),,,(or 2 cups pureed squash, just puree 1st)

1 (14-oz can) fat-free low-sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1 cup filtered water (or more to reach your desired soup consistency)...or 1 cup quality white wine)

2 teaspoons fireweed honey

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

--2 cups baby spinach leaves, obvious stems removed, roughly chopped

--1 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter, cut into quarters

METHOD

In 3-quart saucepan, heat over medium-high heat, add the bacon and brown until crispy (do not drain drippings or remove bacon). Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, while sautéing.

Stir in all remaining ingredients, except fresh baby spinach and cold butter. Heat soup to boiling; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add chopped spinach, stir to incorporate and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. ~ Remove saucepan from heat; fold in cold butter cubes, and gently stir just until incorporated. 

Serve with toasted, warm homemade bread slices. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA'S FRESH RASPBERRY SAUCE or PUREE (For Desserts or Savory Dishes)

A wonderful sauce
or puree
to incorporate into
sweet desserts
or savory dishes...

Prep. 3 Mins.
Cook: 5 to 10 Mins.
Puree/Strain: 5 Mins.



INGREDIENTS

1 pint fresh raspberries, or frozen
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water


METHOD

Combine raspberries, brown sugar, orange juice, 

and kosher salt in a cold saucepan. 

Whisk the cornstarch in a small bowl with the cold water until smooth, and add the slurry to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until reduced and your desired consistency is reached, noting that the sauce will thicken further as it cools. 

Puree sauce in

blender 

or with a 

handheld immersion 

blender.

Strain puree through a fine sieve, 

using a spoon to push all it through, while retaining seeds. 

Serve warm or cold.

Any leftover puree will keep in the 

refrigerator for up to two weeks. – Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tip: This puree is excellent to incorporate into many dessert recipes, such as parfaits, trifles, smoothies, drizzle over ice cream, bars, cookies, between cake layers, as a syrup for pancakes and waffles, under/over crepes, and so much more, including as a condiment with pork, ham, and so on.

SANDRA'S GRILLED SALMON with a SAVORY BLUEBERRY-BALSAMIC SAUCE

A perfect marriage of fresh ingredients
makes this absolutely phenomenal...

Servings: (4)
Prep: 10 Mins. | Cook: 15 Mins.

Posted: by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
--Another 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
4 salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, add 1/2 cup chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, and honey into a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce heat to medium. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup of chicken stock, and stir into simmering sauce. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens, reduces by half, and turns clear and sweetens (important or else the sauce will have too strong of a vinegar flavor). Stir in the blueberries and chives, and keep warm over low heat until salmon is done.

Meanwhile, brush salmon with oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with savory blueberry sauce drizzled on top ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA'S SAVORY SHRIMP TARTLETS

Delicate tartlets - a crowd pleaser at gatherings...

Yields: (30)
Prep: 10 Mins.

Posted: by Sandra

INGREDIENTS:

30 frozen phyllo tartlet shells

***Filling
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon grated onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 cup chili sauce (for a recipe click here:  Homemade Chili Sauce)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

***Topping
30 small cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined; leaving tails intact

METHOD

Combine cream cheese, worcestershire sauce, grated onion, garlic powder, lemon juice, parsley, and chili sauce in a bowl. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Spoon mixture evenly in each of the 30 tart shells. Top each shell with one shrimp. Refrigerate until ready to serve. ~ enjoy!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


If using larger prawns, you might want to cut them in half horizontally, and then crosswise.

SANDRA'S HOMEMADE RUSSIAN DRESSING

A tangy delicious dressing that I use
with many salads, including my
awesome Taco Salad...

Yields: (1/2 cup)
Prep: 5 mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons grated onion
1 teaspoon worcestershire
3 tablespoons olive oil


METHOD:

Whisk all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until emulsified. Place into refrigerator in an airtight, covered, glass container. – Enjoy!

SANDRA'S SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO FREEZE FRESH HERBS: The easy way and tips for using them later

I often find that I have an abundance of herbs at times,
and here is a quick method of freezing some of them
so you have use of your herbs year round...

Posted: by Sandra

This is so rewarding...

I often have to go to the market for just one herb while cooking a particular recipe. Further, I tend to never use all the herbs I purchase or grow, so this is the best method I found to preserve herbs is by freezing them.

Choose the best and healthiest, leaves, sprigs, or shoots of herbs: basil, parsley, thyme, chives, rosemary, etc., (See below).

Wash, and spin dry fresh herbs (or pat dry with paper towels).

Spread them out in one layer on a parchment paper (or wax paper) lined baking sheet. Flash freezing them flat and individually will prevent them from melding together later on.

Cover and place the cookie sheet of herbs into the freezer and freeze solid for a minimum of 24 hours.

Meanwhile, mark small Zip Lock bags with date/name of herb/amount/expiration date = up to 6 mos. When frozen, measure and place ¼ cup into individual bags, and to freezer.

If you freeze quite a few herbs, it may be easier to find them in your freezer if you store the individual packages of the same herb together in one large container.

[Be aware that when herbs are frozen, they become limp, lose their color and are best used in cooked foods, dressing, sauces, pesto, salsa, etc., although not as a garnish for instance.]

BASIL a natural snipped in with tomatoes; terrific in fresh pesto; other possibilities include pasta sauce, peas, zucchini, Italian toppings for brochettes

CHIVES dips, potatoes, tomatoes

CILANTRO Mexican, Asian and Caribbean cooking; salsas, tomatoes, salads, dips

DILL carrots, cottage cheese, fish, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, dips

MINT carrots, fruit salads, parsley, peas, tabouli, tea, parfaits, desserts, drinks, garnish

OREGANO peppers, tomatoes, sauces, stews

PARSLEY The curly leaf is the most common, but the flat leaf or Italian parsley is more strongly flavored and often preferred for cooking. Naturals for parsley include potato salad, tabouli, green salads, sauces, soups, and stews, to mention a few

ROSEMARY chicken, fish, lamb, pork, roasted potatoes, soups, stews, tomatoes

SAGE poultry seasoning, stuffings

TARRAGON chicken, eggs, fish, salad dressings

THYME eggs, lima beans, potatoes, poultry, summer squash, tomatoes

WINTER SAVORY dried bean dishes, stews