New version of a Spinach Salad: Sweet, Sour, Salty!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM! I have so been enjoying our winter CSA spinach from Snug Haven Farm (near Belleville, WI). . .I'm coming up with different versions of the Spinach Salad!

3/4 of a red onion, sliced and quickly sauteed (a few minutes, just to get soft and a bit translucent)

1/2 pound thick sliced bacon, cooked, drained, and diced

Raw walnuts, chopped

Organic red delicious apple, cored and diced

6 cups organic spinach (chopped)

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl.

Top with homemade sweet sour dressing (equal parts apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil-approx 1/3-1/2 c. each, 1 T. honey, 1 t. sugar, dried parsley flakes, salt and pepper to taste - mix well)!

Mumbo . . .Gumbo! :)

Seems like fitting weather for gumbo now in Wisconsin! We've technically had our first "real" snowfall now after having such a mild start to our winter. Not that I was complaining!

I discovered this recipe in a magazine. . . tweaking it to my tastes. . .While it is a "lighter" version of a New Orleans favorite, it does not lack for flavor! Paired with a few splashes of Tabasco (or alot if you like it really spicy!), a Red Stripe brew, and some French bread for "sopping", it makes for a mighty fine "warm me up" meal! :)

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 t. salt

1/2 cup Wondra flour (good for making sauces thicker - I prefer this to regular all purpose flour)

1-2 T. (or more!) Creole/Cajun seasoning

1 -2 t. garlic powder

5 T. canola oil

2-4 T. butter, salted

3 Andouille sausage links, cubed

1 large bell pepper, diced

1 medium to large onion, diced

6 cups homemade chicken broth (I save the broth when I boil chicken!)

1 - 1 1/2 c. diced tomatoes (I used tomatoes from our garden that we had frozen - unthaw a bit, then chop - somewhat easier to chop when they are still slightly frozen)

2 1/2 c. sliced frozen okra (can also use fresh, of course)

4 cups cooked rice

1/2 c. parsley for garnish

Tabasco splashes for each bowl (optional!)

1. Sprinkle cubed chicken breasts with salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large baggie, combine 1/4 c. Wondra flour, Creole/Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder. In a large frying pan or deep pot (whichever you prefer - you use the same pot to simmer your gumbo) over medium-high heat, heat 2 T. of oil. Add chicken to baggie and shake to coat. Transfer chicken to pan and cook until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Transfer chicken to plate. Add sausage to pot. Cook about 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Add peppers and onion to pot and cook until onions are translucent and softened (5+ minutes). Transfer this sausage-veggie mixture to a bowl and set aside.

3. Wipe pan clean and set on medium-low heat. Add remaining flour and oil (I also add a few T. of butter, as I like the richness in a roux) and stir constantly until a deep brown roux forms - approx. 10 minutes. Add sausage-veggie mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chicken broth, increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil. Add chicken and then reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for about 40 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes and okra. Simmer until okra is tender - 10-15 minutes (longer if you use fresh okra). Then add cooked rice, stir to combine. (Or you can serve OVER the rice if you prefer).

5. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkling of parsley. Serve with sliced French bread for "sopping"! :) A few dashes of Tabasco adds a nice touch of spice/heat to your bowl, too!

ENJOY!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Clean, green winter CSA spinach! It's divine! This evening's "batch" is tossed with craisins, sugared pecans, cucumbers, red onions. . .and served alongside tortellini with homemade tomato cream sauce and Purple Cowboy Cabernet Sauvignon for the chef! CHEERS!

What's for lunch today?

"Gourmet" Chef Salad, that's what! :) Complete with pecans. . .mmmmm!

A favorite in this household: Loaded Baked Potato Soup

If you love loaded baked potatoes like I do, then you'll love this recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Soup! :) It's a favorite in my household. It's starting to be soup season, aka fall! :) I have not tried a low fat version of this recipe but I cannot imagine that it would be hard to substitute low fat ingredients.

Enjoy! It's delish!

I do double this recipe (except the bacon, as the amount given is plenty for a double batch!) to feed my family of four and to have a few lunches for the week as well.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

1 lb. bacon, diced (you can use about 1/2 lb. if that 1 lb. amount freak you out!)

1 onion, diced (I sometimes add a bit more!)

5 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 c. chicken stock (I have used veggie stock as well)

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

1 1/2 c. milk (I'll be honest here and mention I use half and half)

3 green onions, sliced

3/4 c. shredded cheese, divided

1/2 t. black pepper (or slightly more. . .I love using cracked black pepper!)

Sour cream for garnish

1. In large pot cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain and set aside. Drain all but 2 T. of bacon grease from the pot. Cook the onions in the remaining bacon grease for about 5 minutes, until tender.

2. Add potatoes and chicken to the onions in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. With a slotted spoon, remove a few scoops of potatoes. Place potatoes in a bowl and mash with a fork. Set aside. These will act as a thickener for the soup.

3. In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Slowly stir in to stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir in mashed potatoes.

4. Add 1/2 c. shredded cheese, 3/4 of the bacon, and 1/2 of the sliced green onions to the pot. Add pepper to taste. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cook an additional 5 minutes.

5. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and top with shredded cheese, bacon, green onions, and sour cream.

Bon appetit!

Popovers - Simple, yet Divine! :)

Many years ago, when I lived in Texas, my mom and I would treat ourselves once or twice a year to lunch at the lovely dining room at Neiman Marcus in Fort Worth, Texas. They would serve these delightfully delicious, GIGANTIC popovers to those dining with them. . . as an "appetizer"! It was such a nice treat! My mom discoverd this great recipe in her Culinay Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, complete with oldschool orange, hardboard cover (original publication was 1948!). She was able to find an updated copy of this cookbook in paperback several years ago for me. . .and I swear by it for this recipe for popovers, as well Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pineapple Upsidedown Cake, and several others. Popovers are requested in my household for special occasions and when guests stay with us or join us for breakfast! This time around I made them for my son's 15th birthday weekend Sunday breakfast! I swear they are EASY to make and they will most certainly be a hit in your houshold!

Popovers

1 1/2 c. sifted all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk (I use skim)

Sift flour and salt. Beat eggs, add milk, and stir gradually into the flour and salt mixture to make a smooth batter. Beat thoroughly with egg beater/mixer. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake in very hot over at 450 degreses F for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven's temperature to moderate at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Makes 12. **Serve with Strawberry butter (mix equal amounts of softened butter with your favorite strawberry jam) . . .or any other "butter" is yummy with this as well. Can also be served with honey.**

*I double this recipe for two muffin tins full. . .lots of hungry tummies to feed!*

Last of the Z Garden Harvest. . .before the frost

So . . .here's the last of our homegrown, organic veggies from our garden: spaghetti squash, green peppers, cucumbers, a miniscule zucchini (I think these really finished producing last week or slightly before that), jalepenos, thai chilis, green beans, a few cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, yellow heirloom tomatoes. . .MMMMMMMMMMMM. My son gathered them before the frost that is supposedly here this evening. . .not pictured are ALOT of green tomatoes that we'll ripen in paper bags. SIGH. . .I will surely miss all of these yummy, fresh veggies. . .but I'm glad it's feeling like fall outside! :)