Leek and Potato Soup

8c               chicken broth
6                 potatoes peeled and cut into large pieces
2                 leeks thoroughly washed and sliced
1c               heavy cream (whipping cream)
salt and pepper to taste

Put the chicken stock, potatoes and leeks into a large pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Boil until the potatoes are soft, 15-20 minutes.

Turn off the stove. Now use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Now add the cream and simmer on low until the soup has thickened...usually about 20 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes

1         potato per person

1tsp    butter per potato

1tbsp  sour cream or buttermilk per potato

just enough milk to loosen the mixture

salt and pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes if they are russet potatoes otherwise just wash well and keep the skins on.

Cut each potato into small pieces. Place the potatoes in an appropriate sized pot and fill with water and a pinch of salt.

Bring to a boil and let cook until they are very soft and easily pierced with a fork.

Drain the water from the cooked potatoes and put them back into the pot. Stir in the butter, sour cream and bit of salt. Now mash them with a potato masher or whip them in a mixer until they are smooth and fluffy. Serve immediately.

** Why not try something different?

 Stir in some:

shredded cheese
roasted garlic and parsley
chopped green onions or chives
crumbled cooked bacon and cheddar 

YUMMY!

Beef Stroganoff

1lb             ground beef

½               small onion (finely diced)

½               green or red pepper (finely diced)

2cloves      garlic (minced)

4               mushrooms (sliced)

1tbsp         worcestershire sauce

1tsp           dried beef stock (low salt)

1tsp           horseradish (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1can           cream of mushroom soup

1/2c            milk

1package   cooked broad egg noodles

 (Follow the directions on the package)

For Garnish:

2                green onions (thinly sliced)

1                  handful of parsley (chopped)

1/2c             sour cream

Put the first 9 ingredients in a medium sized saucepot on medium heat. Brown the ground beef stirring every once in a while until it is a rich brown color with no sign of pink. Now would be a good time to start boiling the water to cook the noodles.

Add the can of mushroom soup and the milk. Stir until smooth. With a clean spoon taste a little to see if it needs any more salt or pepper. Turn off the burner and cover with a lid. Let sit until your egg noodles are ready.

*To serve place some noodles in a bowl and top off with a spoonful of sour cream. Sprinkle with some parsley and green onions and you are done.

Shepherds Pie

11/2 lb       ground beef (ground turkey) 

½               small onion (finely diced)

2c              frozen mixed vegetables

2cloves     garlic (minced)

1tsp           horseradish 

salt and pepper to taste

1/2can           cream of mushroom soup


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Put the first 7 ingredients in a large sized saucepot on medium heat. Brown the ground beef (or turkey) stirring every once in a while until it is golden brown with no sign of pink. 

Add the mushroom soup. Stir until smooth. With a clean spoon taste a little to see if it needs any salt or pepper. 

Evenly spread out the meat mixture into a large shallow ovenproof dish. Top with mashed potatoes, and put in the oven for about 30minutes.

Scrub a Dub Dub 3 Potatoes in a Tub

Oven Fries

I can never understand why people fry french fries in oil when Oven Fries taste so good...here's how I do it:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

6                potatoes (any kind will work)

pinch of salt 

drizzle of olive oil

I don't even peel the potatoes, I just scrub them well and cut them into thick wedges. 

Spread them on a parchment lined cookie sheet...this allows you to use way less oil! 

Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil and toss them around a bit.

Pop them in the oven giving a toss every 10 minutes or so. They should be crisp and golden in about 30 minutes.

*Why not try some interesting flavours? 

 Chilli Lime- use garlic salt instead of regular salt and adda sprinkle of hot red chilli flakes. When cooked sprinkle on a little fresh lime zest.

African Smoke- Just sprinkle on some African Smoke seasoning (from Trader Joes) it makes your fires taste like they have bacon on them!

Lemon Thyme- Sprinkle with a bit of thyme, bake as usual then finish off with some lemon zest.

Crispy Chicken Fingers

I like to make my chicken strips with boneless skinless chicken thighs...I find them far more juicy. Here's the recipe:

6               boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into strips)

1c              buttermilk

2               garlic cloves

1/2tsp      salt and pepper (or to taste)

Toss everything into a bowl and let marinate for 30 minutes to overnight. The buttermilk will keep the chicken tender and moist and it seems to somehow allow the flavours to penetrate the meat better.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the following ingredients in a bowl:

2c              penko bread crumbs

1                small handful of chopped parsley

pinch of salt

Now remove a piece of chicken from the marinade and dip into the bread crumb mixture and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you've used up all the marinated chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

* These are fun to serve in a newspaper cone (like you sometimes get fish'n'chips in) I like especially like it because I have no dishes to do after dinner. Just a toss into the recycling bin and I'm done!

*Another great idea is to pack this for a school lunch or picnic. Just fold the top of the cone down and fasten with a sticker. The newspaper will keep it warm for a really long time.