Creamy Dill Dressing

From The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook, acquired on our honeymoon to Tortola. Mm mmm. 

1 ¼ c. mayonnaise (or your favorite mayo substitute)

½ c. sour cream

2 tsp. chopped fresh dillweed or ½ tsp. dried

2 T. grated fresh parmesan cheese

1 ½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. grated onion

1 tsp. cider vinegar

Stir all ingredients together (I use an electric beater for a very smooth consistency) and chill before serving.

Emily's Penne and Keilbasa

3 cups broccoli florets, blanched

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 red pepper, diced

1 medium red onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped

1 lb. kielbasa, diced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 lb. pasta (penne, shells, etc) cooked

chopped spinach

fresh basil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Gorgonzola cheese

Heat 1/4 of oil in a skillet. Saute onion for 5-6 minutes, then add garlic, tomatoes, kielbasa, and oregano. Saute for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine pasta and remanding olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and fresh basil, minced. Then add fresh chopped spinach and broccoli and sauteed mixture. Top with Gorgonzola cheese.

This is one of my family's favorites!

Enjoy!

Monastery Lentils

Judy & I snap up this recipe from Emily after one small-group night meal.  It was yummy with baked potatoes.

1 c. dry lentils
3 c. water
1 bay leaf
salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil, or less
1 c. canned tomatoes, mashed by hand
1 tsp. basil
2 Table. parsley flakes

Cook lentils, water, bay leaf and a small amount of salt until lentils are tender, 20-25 min.
Meanwhile, saute onion, carrot, and garlic in olive oil until the onions are tender. Combine the two mixtures and add rest of ingredients. Simmer together until hot and flavors are well blended.

Serve with cornbread and salad.


Thanks for more yumminess, Emily!

Grand Raspberry (or Blackberry) Trifle

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 4 cups raspberries
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 pounds favorite pound cake

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine jam with 3 cups raspberries, mashing slightly. In a large bowl, whip cream and 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff peaks.
   
3. Slice pound cake 3/4 inch thick; brush both sides of slices with lemon syrup.
   
4. Fit 1/3 of slices snugly in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or other glass bowl, trimming edges if necessary. Gently spread top of layer with 1/3 of raspberry mixture, and then 1/3 of whipped cream. Repeat to make two more layers; garnish with remaining cup raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.
   

Credit for recipe to Martha Stewart. com

 A note from Chef Emily:

I used blackberries and therefore blackberry jam.  I used this pound cake, too.

Thanks for sharing this at Eliza's 16th Birthday party, Emily! 

Emily's Pound Cake

3 sticks butter, softened

3 c. sugar

5 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. flour (2 all purpose, 1 self-rising)

1 c. whipping cream

zest of one lemon

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add flour. Then cream and lemon zest. 

Grease and flour bunt pan. Bake 350 for about 1 hour. 

I baked mine for an hour and 10 minutes and it was overdone. I'd check it at about 55 minutes and see how it's coming along. Cool in pan for a bit and then remove to plate.

Squash and White Bean Soup

serves 4

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 14.5 oz. can tomatoes

1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces(4 c.) 

            (note: microwave whole squash 30 sec. to soften for initial cutting)

1 T. fresh thyme, or less dried

Salt and pepper

2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed

1 bunch spinach, ~4 cups

Heat oil in Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. 

Stir in squash, thyme, 5 c. water, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted and beans are heated through, 2-3 minutes. 

Serve with biscuits and parmesan cheese.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

• 3 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F(200 degrees C). Combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread butter mixture evenly over one side of each bread slice. Place bread, buttered side up, on a baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until bread is crisp and topping is bubbly. Cut each slice of bread into 8 small triangles or squares.
2. Saute onion in butter in a medium saucepan until tender. Add 1 can chicken broth; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Transfer broth mixture into the container of a blender or processor. Process until smooth.
4. Return mixture to saucepan. Add remaining can of broth, pumpkin, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground pepper; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally..
5. Stir in whipping cream and heat through. Do not boil. Ladle into individual soup bowls. Top each serving with Cinnamon Croutons. 

Credit for above to AllRecipes

For additional flavor:

I used 3 yummy squashes- 2 acorns & 1
butternut- I baked them on the bottom rack with the bread at 350 for
one hour. (after halving, scooping out seeds, & laying on a 1/2 sheet
upside down with water poured on the bottom). I also added about 1/4
cup brown sugar, used grated fresh ginger, & a mixture of 1/2 & 1/2
and cream cheese for the heavy whipping cream.
Credit to Jen Tan.

Emily's Whole Wheat Bread (Bread Machine)

Place these in your bread machine in the order recommended for your machine.

1 1/2 cups water
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons honey
1/2 Tablespoon salt
4 cups whole wheat flour (I use white whole wheat)
1 1/2 Tablespoon gluten
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Bake on regular setting.